Watching
by Miss Mockingjay
Summary: 1 Hunger Games, 3 points of view: Cole the mentor. Jed the male tribute and Cole's son. Stella the female tribute and the niece of Cole's district partner. Will history repeat itself or will things take a different turn?
1. Prologue

Prologue: Cole

_I can sense the screams before they even reach my ears. I run to them, even though every inch of my being wants to get away from them. But I have to ignore those feelings and the sharp stings of pain as the branches scratch my face, because those screams are for me!__  
><em>_"Cole? Cole! COLE!"_

"Cole, wake up!" Suddenly I'm jolted out of those woods and back into my bed. Erin stops shaking me. Her green eyes are the same colour as the pine trees outside, they remind me I'm home; that me I'm safe.  
>She holds my hand, the light making our matching rings shine.<br>"It was only a nightmare", she says soothingly.  
>Today it is, but 24 years ago it was real.<br>Very soon the same thing could be happening. Although this year all I can do is watch. I'll watch from the stage as two people's lives are ripped from them. Between the reaping and The Games I'll be responsible for preparing them for the fight of their lives.  
>This year I'm not just a victor, I'm a mentor.<p> 


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Jed

I breathe in the fresh, pine scented air. I close my eyes, wanting to hang on to this calm moment for as long as possible, because this'll probably be the only one I'll get today. But holding on to time is as impossible as holding onto water; it'll eventually slip through my fingers and will flow into The Square.

"Hey, Jed" I open my eyes to find my farther sitting next to me on the tree stump at the bottom of our garden. He has an unnerving habit of appearing next you without making a sound. He smiles but it does nothing to hide the distant look in his eyes, he always seems to be half way between here and the past, especially today when the memories of how his life changed are strongest.

"You've got to stop doing that, Dad." I say, returning his smile.

"Doing what?"

"Sneaking up on people."

"I wasn't sneaking up, I was quietly approaching". He says, mimicking the voice Mum does when she's correcting us on something (which is a lot). We laugh, for a second his worry lines fade and I get a snapshot of how he must have looked when he was my age. People say I look a lot like him and I can see why. We have the same dark brown hair, we're roughly the same height and Mum swears we have the same smile (not that I see it that much this time of year).But I've inherited her green eyes.

"Anyway I just want to say goodbye, before the reaping and before I head off to the Capital". He spits the word Capital out like it's a poisonous cherry stone, I can see the anger blazing in his eyes. But the arrival of my mother immediately extinguishes the flames.

"Cole, aren't you supposed to be putting your bags on the train?"

24 years ago my farther, Cole Livingstone, won the Hunger Games. This will be the 3rd time he's been called up to the Capital to mentor District 7's tributes; he is yet to mentor a winner.

"What am I going to do without you?" He sighs; giving her a smile that I only ever see him gives her. It's good question. Dad says Mum is like his own personnel brand of morphling, because she's the only thing that can calm him down when he's having one of his nightmares. Being away from her when they have their strongest grip on him will be torture.

"I just wanted to say goodbye to Jed", he says, constricting me in a bear hug. "Bye son, I'll see you at the reaping."

I manage to squeeze out the words: "bye, Dad" before he lets go. Of course being a victor's son doesn't prevent my name going into the drawing, but the riches my family has means that, at 16 I have only the compulsory 5 entries. I'm as safe as you can be at my age. But I still find the reaping as terrifying as everyone else. To make matters worse I get a lot more attention than all the other kids, since being the offspring of a victor makes you automatically more interesting to the cameras.

Dad goes over to Mum and kisses her on the cheek.

"Goodbye, Erin."

"Bye, Cole." She almost whispers, trying to hide the concern in her voice for his wellbeing without her there to help him fight his many demons.

But when she turns to me her concern is replaced with alarm.

"Jedrek! We've got be in the square in 20 minutes and your still in your pyjamas? Get dressed NOW!"


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Stella

The girl in the mirror scowls back at me. The dress she's wearing is rosy pink with purple pokka dots and frilly lace around the skirt. It looks cute, but this girl doesn't do cute. Jeans and shirts are usually her style but unfortunately that sort of thing is frowned upon at the Reaping.

"Does it still fit?" Dad asks as he enters my room.

"Yes" I mutter resentfully. This would be a good thing if it didn't originally belong to a girl 3 years younger me. But that girl was my father's sister, Nina, my aunt. I never met her because this very day 24 years ago she was taken away from home and thrown into the Arena. She didn't make it, she 13 years old.

Now every year, half out of respect and half out of not owning any other dresses, I wear the dress she wore when her world was turned upside down. It doesn't exactly give me comfort on this day that's filled with so much uncertainty, but it makes my farther seem more at ease, knowing that a piece of his much loved sister remains, especially today.

"Who's mentoring this year?" I ask, trying to take the attention away from the fact that I look more like I'm going to attend a tea party at the Justice Building than going to the Reaping. The look of bitterness on Dad's face says it all: Cole Livingstone, the boy who lived when my aunt died.

Many people say that Cole and my Dad were once the very best of friends, but since his victory, Dad has refused to speak to him. He must have done something terrible because he's the only person my Dad has ever had a grudge against.

"Who else?" I ask trying to take him away from thoughts about his former best friend. Every district is assigned two mentors, one for each tribute, although they can still be mentored together. Except district 12 who only has 1 living victor.

"Torey Lawrence, it'll be her first time." He answers. Torey is our latest victor, having won the Games only 7 years ago. She's proved to be very popular with the Capital; I'm surprised she hasn't mentored before. It's probably because they love her so much that they keep her there for many months at a time. I glance out the window to see that people are already gathering in The Square down the street.

"Time to go" Dad murmurs, struggling to hold back the memories of that faithful day.

I can almost smell the fear emanating from the girls around me as I take my place in the 16 year old girls section. But I have not time to wallow in my own as are district's escort Cassia D'Lancy, an infuriatingly enthusiastic woman, wearing a corsage half the size of her head in her bright red hair, takes hold of the mike.

"Welcome one and all to the Reaping! Today one lucky young man and woman will be chosen to represent District 7 in the 68th Hunger Games!" As she waffles on I catch a sight of Cole's son. He's easy to spot because while all the other boys are wearing hand me down suits his navy blue one seems brand new and has a shine to it, which seemed to be the fashion in the Capital last year because all the men were wearing them. It's strange to think that if events had gone differently, me and this boy, who I can't even remember the name of, might have grown up together.

The sharp intake of breaths tells me it's time to pick the girl's name out from the great glass ball. Cassia rummages around for a few seconds before pulling out one slip of paper.

Suddenly all the fear I've been holding back today surges through my body as she walks back to the mike and unravels the piece of paper! So by the time she shouts out:

"Stella Grimeshaw!"

I'm to numb to be shocked.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:Cole

_I don't have to turn around to know where the cry of disbelief and anguish is coming from._

_"Nina? Nina no, no it can't be her!"_

_But I can see the small girl slowly making her way to the stage, her dark auburn hair flowing down the back of her pink and purple dress. There's only one person it could possibly be._

_But Ethan still refuses to believe it. He grabs my shoulders and turns me around to face the stormy waters of his eyes._

"This can't be happening, Cole, please tell me it's not happening!" But before I can say anything, the peacekeepers pull him away from me and I'm being pushed towards her. Her brother was yelling so loud I couldn't even hear my name being called.

I struggle to remind myself that little Nina isn't standing in front me now. The hair tumbling down her shoulders isn't red like hers; it's just a girl wearing clothes. But I know who this girl is, and when the Sun hits the back of her head, reviling hidden strikes of copper,it might as well be her. I might as will be 24 years in the past.

"Now it's time to pick our male tribute", chirps Cassia, utterly oblivious to this girl's family history. Her aunt's name was lost among the countless number who has died in the Games years ago.

I don't know if it's the way she gasps after reading the paper she's drawn out or the helpless sense of deja vu, but I know it's him before she even says his name.

"Jedrek Livingstone!"


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Jed

"NO!"

She barely finishes before Dad's cry cuts through the square like an axe blade through a tree. He shoots up from his chair! For a second I think he's going snatch the paper out of Cassia's hand and tare it to shreds! But like most of his sudden outbursts it's over in flash and when Torey, his fellow mentor, gently grabs his arm, he lets her pull him back into his seat, drained of the fury and anguish that fuelled it.

My family always knew this could happen. But they've never talked about it much, knowing that the thought of seeing someone they love in the arena again will drive them mad. Victor's children have been reaped before, but never here, you can see that on everyone's faces when they look at me.

Thoughts and feelings rush through me faster than the tribute train, piling up into an incomprehensible mess. I don't even realise I've walked onto the stage until I'm face to face with my district partner. Her eyes are a deep shade of blue; they seem to know something I don't, something about me. She's small, about 4''10, but when Cassia asks us to shake hands her grip is as strong as someone twice her seize.

The hardest part is just standing there while the Mayor delivers the speech about the treaty. I struggle to fight the urge to jump off the stage and run home, run away from the people who stare at me but see my farther, away from the girl who knows dark secrets about me and away from the Hunger Games!

After the speech the names of District 7's 9 victors are read out. When he reaches Dad's name all the cameras turn to him, he stares at the two of us like he's looking at a couple ghosts.

When it's Torey's turn to get a close up she revels nothing. Her eyes are like the early morning fog, they conceal her emotions and thoughts. But they're also like the eye of the storm, bathing whoever meets her gaze in a strange sense of calm. It's this calm that gives me the strength to go into the Justice Building where I'll say my goodbyes and try to order the chaos in my head.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Jed

Mum rushes in about 30 seconds after the Peacekeepers close the door. She throws her arms around me and holds onto me, not daring to let go unless I crumble into a thousand pieces in front of her. Her body shakes as she tries to hold back the tears; she's always had to be strong for people when they are weak, now it's my turn to be strong for her.

"It's a good thing you made me dress for the occasion; otherwise I would have been up there in my pyjamas". I say trying to think of at least one good thing that's happened today.

Her muffled reply comes from my shoulder, where her head is buried, "at least they would have remembered you".

"There's no way they would forget me, I'm a victor's son, the very victor who's mentoring...", for the first time I realise my farther will probably be training me, teaching me to how to survive like he did. To kill like he did. I know very little about Dad's games, his nightmares fill him with so much terror I'm afraid to ask about them. I don't even know how many tributes he killed.

"He'll do everything he can to help you. I know will, he'll bring you home." she sounds as if she's trying to convince herself as well as me. She removes her head from my shoulder, pushing her honey blonde hair out of her face, revelling her green eyes which are identical to my own.

"Why did he look at her like that?" I ask; she knows who I mean.

"Stella Grimeshaw's aunt was in the 44th Hunger Games with him." So in some ways he was looking at a ghost. History really is repeating itself. I want to ask her some more questions about this aunt but she quickly changes the subject.

"You're just like him, not just in looks, you're brave like him too", she says, seeming distant she remembers the last time she was in this room. She's a mixture of pride and sadness. I've never considered myself brave because I've never had a real opportunity to find out if I am, I guess I'll have plenty in the arena.

"I know you can win; that you can come home. Even if you don't know it yet, and I'm not just being biased because I'm your mother". The Peacekeepers enter, adding a sense of urgency and panic. Suddenly the fear that's been following me all day finally catches up with me, wrapping me in its paralysing embrace. But it all seems to evaporate when Mum puts something in my hand. I'm not surprised when I look at my open palm and see a bracelet that is made up of thousands of long strands of wood fibre all woven together. Mum makes these herself, it's a skill passed down the family for generations, she still sells them at the market every month. She once told me they contain the spirits of the trees they came from and that the wearer absorbs the tree's strength and wisdom.

"I know you say it's all a load of old gibberish but it's supposed to keep you safe and I'd feel better if I knew it was your District token." I slip it onto my wrist, it fits perfectly. The Peacekeepers are standing behind her now, silently willing her to go.

"Don't forget that whatever happens, whatever you do, wherever you go, you're my son and I will always love you", she holds me tightly once last time. I'll miss the warmth she gives more than anything.

"I love you too, Mum. I love you with every inch of my heart".

Too soon it's time to let go. When she walks out the door I see my old life walk out with her.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Stella

The last hour has gone by in a blur. I'm still dazed by everything that has happened. I glance at the giant cloak on the other side of the room, willing its hands to freeze, but it continues to count down the time I have left here: 15 minutes. He should be here by now.

I've had a lot more visitors than I thought I would have: regular customers from Dad's carpentry shop where I help out, the kids from my track team and Tia and Brendon, Dad's apprentices. Their faces and words have merged together, a mix of condolences, reassurance and advice.

"You're the fastest girl I've ever seen", enthused the track teams youngest recruit, Holly, bless her, she'd always looked up to me, I can see that now. At the time I thought she was just annoying. "You could out run any tribute in the arena."

"Not that she'd be doing any running, remember that time you and her got into a fight, Kelly? She broke your nose!" Sammy grins at the memory. Kelly cringes, that was the first and last time she tripped me up in a race! But breaking someone's nose is a world away from killing them, I have no idea whether I could it, but I certainly don't want to find out if I can.

"I've seen you work in the shop, you have a gift", Brendon says when he comes in with Tia; they're twins and never seem to be apart. "You can, like, make your own weapons and stuff."

"Maybe, but I still wouldn't know how to use them."

"That's what the Training Centre is for, besides you've worked with stuff like hammers before that must count for something", Tia reassures me.

But out of all the people in my life there's only one person I really need to see: Dad. I don't understand why he wasn't the first one in, if he doesn't come now I might never see him again.

Just as I begin to wonder if he'll ever come the door opens once again, and there he is, stand on threshold silently staring into space. I understand now why he couldn't come sooner, this room holds too many memories, it's the last place he ever saw Nina in the flesh. You can see them circling around his head like flies as he sits down beside me, his face is flushed from the silent crying he must have done.

"...Stella, I'm so sorry I couldn't..."

"It's OK, Dad, I understand. Your here now; that's all that matters", I hug him, breathing in his scent of sawdust and pine wood. Neither of us moves nor speaks for a few moments, not wanting to break the hold and the comfort it brings to the both of us.

"I'm almost glad your mother isn't alive to see this" he nearly whispers. My mother died when I was five; swept away by the icy winter waters when she fell out of a tree by the river that she was cutting branches off. Although the fact her safety cord snapped was a rare accident, it was enough for Dad to quit his job as a lumberjack and go back to working for my Grandfather as a carpenter. I have surprisingly few memories of her but the ones I do have portray a strong, loving woman.

"This world has already made me say goodbye to two people I love and now it's making me say goodbye to you!" He seems ready to explode with all the sadness and anger building up within him.

"No, things will be different this time, I might win." I say believing this statement for the first time .What my visitors have said is true: I am fast and I can handle tools which could prove to be deadly if used as weapons.

"You're right, your fast and Heaven help anyone who gets in your way! But that Jedrek has Cole for a Dad and who knows how much he's prepared him for this, he's probably delighted he's his mentor...", his eyes seem to glaze over as he talks about my fellow tribute and his farther, blinded to the disappear and fear on their faces. My Dad hardly ever expresses hate of anything but over the years his grudge over Cole has slowly grown inside him like an evil fungus. Sometimes consuming him completely, like now.

"Dad stop! This isn't about them, Jedrek didn't chose to be reaped, he's just as scared as I am and he's not Cole so don't pass your anger onto him! Cole's in an even worse position than you, he has to prepare his own son for the Games! What did he do to make you hate him so much, have you forgotten you were once friends?" I shout the last part; it's the first time I've ever shouted at him. He collapses into the back of the sofa, taken aback by both are outbursts.

"No, I shouldn't blame the boy, nothing's his fault. But in the room he's in now his farther promised me that he would do whatever it took to protect Nina and that he wouldn't let her die. I believed him because I thought she was as much his sister as she was mine. I guess I was wrong because he broke that promise. And that fact just sticks in my mind when I think of him mentoring you".

"But it was 24 years ago, you have to let it go, it won't make watching the Games any easier and I'm so afraid of losing you to hatred.", the very thought of this overwhelms me with dread.

"I can't lose you either, Stella; you're the only good thing that's left for me here. We've always looked after for each other and now it's like Nina all over again…." A tear slides down his cheek, he wipes it away quickly but I see it. I put my arms around him again, trying to squeeze out all his pain.

"But I'm not Nina, I will come back, but in the meantime Tia and Brendon will look out for you". Dad makes a strange noise which is somewhere in between a sob and a laugh.

"I'm supposed to be comforting you, not you comforting me", he breaks away from me a reaches into his pocket.

"I almost forgot. This is for you. It belonged to your mother." He pulls out a small wooden bear tied onto a long piece of string. He hands it to me and I put it round my neck, I feel strangely calmer knowing that a piece of her is with me. He looks at it fondly, remembering her.

"The bear is a strong, powerful yet caring creature, like her. Like you." The peacekeepers open the door; it's time for him to leave.

"I love you more than anything, Stella", He says as we hug a third and final time.

"I love you too".

We keeping saying it until the doors slam, cutting us off, possibly forever. But I can't cry, not until I'm in my room on the tribute train, speeding away from him and everything I know.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Cole

The press swarm on the platform like overgrown insects, giving off a light buzzing sound as they chat among themselves and prepare their cameras. If they could see through the blacked out windows of the tribute train they'd see three faces: one covered in make-up, looking bored, one a poker face and one that just looks lost. Guess which face is mine.

The three of us sit in silence; the events of the last couple of hours play in my mind over and over again, shutting out everything around me. Suddenly a blonde haired woman pushes her way through the throng of people, getting as close to the train as the Peacekeepers let her. Her green eyes scan the windows, fruitlessly searching for something. The sight of her is enough to snap me back into the present: it's Erin. I tap and glass, alerting her to my presence, she looks up and smiles at me, for a moment she's the same young girl who stood there many years ago. She mouths something at me, I can't make it out but that doesn't matter because I know what she's saying. She's saying the same thing she screamed at the top of her lungs when I boarded the train for the very first time: I love you.

She's tries to say something else but she's swallowed up by the crowd as the appearance of District 7's latest tributes suddenly ignites them into a frenzy. The platform is alive with shouting and cameras' flashing as Jed makes his way to the train, he bows his head, his long fringe shielding his face from their stares. Stella walks with her head held high in an attempt to look defiant, but it doesn't hide the fact she looks like she could break down at any second.

In the crowd I see her farther, he looks like he's about to be dragged off to the gallows, but when he looks in my direction his eyes seem to catch fire! A stab of pain goes through me as I'm reminded he's no longer the boy I climbed trees with in the summer and threw snowballs at in the winter. But when I look into his eyes I remember our last conversation in the Justice Building, when they only held desperation:

_"She's just a kid! She can't go into the arena! I don't even want to imagine what they'd do to her!"_

_"She's as much my sister as she is yours. I'll keep her safe; I won't just stand by and let her die."_

_"Promise me you will."_

_"I promise."_

I now know that it's impossible to keep promises in The Hunger Games, but that doesn't stop me from silently promising Jed, Erin, Stellar, Ethan and myself that I will do everything I can to bring one of them home.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Jed

The cameras are still flashing as the train pulls out of the station. As we move away from them they morph into one glittering speck.

Stella and I sit in what must be the dining room because a huge oak table takes up most of the space. I look away from the window to find her sitting at the front of it, tapping her fingers on the varnished surface, they move in time to the ticking of cloak. Apart from that, we sit in silence, not knowing what to say to each other, unable to decide whether we're friends because of the connection between us or enemies because my farther won when her aunt failed. I search hopelessly for something to say, hating the silence which seems to shroud the room. I'm just about to comment on how shiny the table is when she lifts her head up and asks:

"What did he do to her?"

"What?"

"What did your farther do to Nina?" the name rings a huge bell; I know I've heard it before but I can't remember where.

"I...I don't know, I know nothing about her."

"He never mentioned her at all?" She frowns. That's when every memory I have of that name rushes through my head. There have been many times when I've woken up to hear Dad murmuring it in his sleep. It's often accompanied with things like: "I'm sorry", "I know I promised" and "what choice did I have?"

"No, he doesn't talk about his Games, he sees them enough in his sleep." She looks like she's going to say something else but then the man himself walks in, looking as bewildered as I feel. Torey and Cassia follow behind him. I want him to hug me and comfort like he did the time I broke my arm falling out of a tree. But he can't, not in front of all these people.

"Hello, Jedrek and Stella, I'm Torey Lawrence as you already know I'll be mentoring with Cole." It's clearly the first time Torey's talked today because Dad and Cassia look at her with slight astonishment, as she was a baby saying her first word. Her voice sounds controlled, politely ordering me to pay attention to what she says, but it's strangely soothing, like her grey eyes. She shakes our hands as if we'd finished a business deal.

"Umm, please call me Jed", I blurt out. I hate my name, I've never fully understood why, it doesn't sound sophisticated or tough or cool, it's doesn't sound like anything.

Dad stares at Stella for a few seconds, as unsure as to what to say as I was. Cassia jabs him from behind with her creepy long, scarlet nails which are the exact seem shade as her hair, irritated by his apparent rudeness.

"Er…hello, Stella, I'm Cole...perhaps your farther has said something about me..."

"He's said a few things." There's something about the way she says it that suggests that none of them were good.

"Oh, do you know him then? My, this is a coincidence" Cassia babbles, thinking that the awkwardness of this scene had passed.

"We used to", Dad answers trying to kill any possibility of a conversation about it. But she doesn't seem to get the message.

"What do you mean?" she persists trying to unearth what he's hiding.

"Cassia, I think your lipstick has smudged" Torey says, looking intently at her crimson lips, which appear to be fine. She lets out a yelp as if she's just been told her toe has fallen off. She rushes out of the room, towards the nearest mirror.

Torey turns back to us.

"Today has been very eventful, I'm sure you'll all like to retire to your rooms for a few hours; have some privacy. Cassia will call you when the reapings are on." Dad nods, a thankful expression on his face.

"You're right, we all need a break from what's to come."


	10. Chapter 9

Well here's the next chapter, don't forget to give constructive feedback and feel free to ask questions and give ideas about the story.

Chapter 9: Stella

I nearly rip my dress off when I get to my room, wanting to rid myself of anything that reminded me of situation I'm in and what could happen to me in the next few weeks. I'm standing in front of the most complicated looking thing I've ever seen: a Capital shower. It takes me five minutes just to figure out how to turn it on and when I do, hot water sprays right into my face. I always hated the luke warm baths in front of fire at home but I'd much rather be having one now instead of standing in this thing. I somehow find a button that produces pine-scented shampoo, thinking it would remind me of home I press it. But it smells manufactured and fake and only reminds me how far away I am from it.

I must have been in there for a long time because I'm only just finishing buttoning up a denim shirt I found in my wardrobe when I hear Cassia's stilettos clicking down the corridor.

"Come along everyone it's about to start!"

We all gather around an enormous, paper thin TV, which must be at least five times bigger than the old, beat up one at home.

"Right, lets see what we're up against. Remember, this the first look you get at any possible future allies, or enemies." Torey says. Her calm expression and logical tone is refreshing and reassuring after today's chaos, but it also makes her sound a bit inhuman. Still, it's better than the jibbering wreck some victors become.

The first person to be called is a tall, light blonde girl from District 1, like most of their tributes she looks like a strong fighter. But this isn't what makes her threatening, there's wicked glint in her eye which makes me feel uneasy.

When District 2's male tribute volunteers, Cassia lets out a little squeak, I can't decide if it's one of excitement or shock.

"Looks like Jed isn't the only victor's son in the Games! That's Kayden, son of Brant Flint and grandson of Jay Flint, both victors!" Judging by the determination on the huge boy's face, he's planning on following in their footsteps. I am relieved when we're finished with the "career" districts, as I've heard Brenden call them. They all look so much bigger than me, the boys could snap me two like a toothpick and the girls look like they're already planning my death.

Now they're showing District 7. I feel like I've travelled back in time as my name is called and I watch myself take to the stage.

"That dress is so adorable, Stella" Cassia gushes. I glare at her, I'm sixteen years old, I've never worn a dress on a normal day and came home every day caked in mud from the ages 5-10. I have never been adorable in my life! Those Careers are probably laughing their heads off at this cute little girly tribute! Is this how everyone sees me now? Cole's scream of "No" shouts through the TV screen as Jed is reaped. From then on the cameras mostly stay on the farther and son.

"And Jed looks very fetching in his suit" Cassia says, providing more much appreciated commentary. I've always found it very ironic that people from the Capital who take fashion so seriously don't seem to own any mirrors. Take Cassia for instance: Her scarlet hair is a gigantic mass of frizzy curls that goes right down to the torso, Her black corsage thing looks like it's grown even bigger since the reaping, her face is same shade as porcelain shower contrasted with her bright red eye-shadow and lipstick, and that's just the neck up. She's wearing a black and red striped dress which is about a foot wide at the skirt with one sleeve that sticks out like a fin. I find it very hard to believe that she could be a fashion icon. But I've never been into that sort of thing so what do I know?

Apart from the Careers only three other tributes stand out to me: a scrawny looking boy who barely looks a day older twelve from District 9, a boy who's nearly as big as Kayden from District 10 and a girl with glasses from District 3 who was using every ounce of strength she had not to cry. But that didn't matter, I'd be meeting them all soon enough in the arena.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Jed

There are at least a dozen different dishes on the table, all piled high with food. Dad had always said that the Capital had eyes far bigger than their bellies and I see what he means, there's no way five people could eat all this, but Stella is certainly having a go. She's stacked something from every dish onto her plate, determined to try these strange new morsels. As a member of one of the richest families in District 7, my meal times have had a lot more variety than everyone else, but there are things here that not even I recognise.

"What is that?" I ask her as she shovels a small, round and orange thing into her mouth.

"Dunno but it tastes good", she muffles through a mouthful of food.

"It's mango; a kind of fruit", Cassia informs us, looking very displeased with the girl's lack of table manners.

As the plates are being cleared away Torey speaks up for the first time in hours.

"I think it's time we talked about tactics. Have either of you thought about what you're going to do in the Games or the stages leading up to it?" We shake our heads.

"That's OK; that's what me and Cole are here for: to help you come with tactics. But first you need to tell us what you can do. Are there any skills that might benefit you in the Games?"

"Have you ever used a weapon before, Stella?" Dad asks, seeming resentful that a first time mentor is taking the lead.

"Well...I use stuff like hammers and saws in Dad's shop. But you don't see them much in the arena; I don't see how that's of any use..."

"No, that's good. It means you've got enough strength to handle quite heavy tools and you know how to handle sharp blades. Anything else?" Torey asks.

"I'm part of the school's track team; I'm pretty fast. And Brendan said I could make my own weapons, since I have experience in that sort of stuff." She answers beginning to get into get into this.

"Sounds great. Resourcefulness is very important in the Games; as is speed" Torey comments again, sounding quite pleased that Stella isn't as much of an easy target as she appears to be.

"Shouldn't we ask them if they want to be mentored separately before we get into the details," Dad uncharacteristically snaps.

"They haven't requested to be mentored separately", she replied the slightest tone of steel in her voice. "From what I remember they have to ask to be separated."

"Whenever I've mentored I've asked..." I can see that Dad's prepared to argue and Torey doesn't seem like the type of person who lets you win arguments very easily, so I quickly butt in.

"Umm...I can handle an axe; I've used one a few times to help Dad chop firewood."

"He's pretty good at it too, he can lift it quit high and is very precise." He nods. "What about the sword?" He adds flashing a cheeky smile.

When Dad returned from a Capital visit when I was nine, he came home with a beautiful sword with an embodied leather handle. As he mounted it above the fireplace at home he explained it was given to him as gift and that I must never touch it. Of course when there no one else was around one day I took it down and started swishing it around, the way I'd seen a tribute do on TV the day before. I loved how powerful it made me feel and ever since that day I'd take in every move I saw involving this great weapon when the Games were on, then I'd sneak downstairs two hours before Mum and Dad woke up and practise what I'd seen in the woods at the back of our garden.

That is until one day three years later when Mum woke up to a loud smashing noise and came down to find me standing over the shattered remains of what was her favourite vase, sword in hand. After he yelled at me for what felt like an age about how dangerous and reckless it was to play with swords, Dad locked it away and I never saw it again.

"Well it's been a long time since I've been anywhere near one so my skills are probably a little rusty..."

"Oh, did Cole teach how to use swords?" Cassia chirps, intrigued. "Well I guess that's not surprising considering how much he used one in the arena. Oooh do you remember the time he was..."

"SHUT UP!" He suddenly shouts at her. Everyone snaps their necks round to face him. It looks like the memories of the Games have finally broken whatever was holding all his anger and frustration back these last few hours and now it's free to run wild. Cassia recoils in her seat as if he's just slapped her in the face.

"Cole, calm down, I know this is very hard for you but..." Torey begins, sounding a whole lot calmer than the rest of us.

"STOP IT! STOP PRETENDING THAT YOU'RE LITTLE MISS CALM AND COLLECTED WHO KNOWS EVERYTHING! BUT I'LL GIVE YOU ONE THING; YOU ACT LIKE A REAL SAINT FOR SOMEONE WHO KILLED THE ENTIRE CAREER PACK IN THEIR SLEEP!"

For a few seconds there's absolute silence as his words sink in. For a moment Torey looks shocked and a little hurt, but she soon patches up the hole in her invisible armour and her neutral expression is in place once again. She gets up without a word and heads for the door, not giving Dad a second glance until she reaches it.

"We've all had to do things we're not proud of, Cole. You of all people should know that."


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Cole

_When I look out of the window of my room; I'm back in District 7's station. Nina is making her way onto the train, followed by a boy with dark brown hair that I barely recognise, despite knowing him so well:16 year old me. _

_Ethan stands at the front of the crowd, physically torn between his best friend and little sister. He sheds their tears for them as the train pulls away and the scene evaporates like smoke. I can feel it moving, going faster than it ever has before as it bolts along the track of this boy's journey._

_The images blur past: the Capital towers glowing in the light of a thousand cameras, a fearsome looking boy throwing a spear into a helpless dummy and endless clouds, floating beneath a hover craft. I pull the curtains shut; not wanting to see what comes next. But nothing can block out the sound of a cannon, screaming, feet pounding ON the dry frosty, earth and a distant roar. Although I can no longer see what's happening I know each and every scene. Suddenly the train grids to a halt and I hear a voice behind me._

_"This is where you broke your promise. This is where I get off". I turn around and there she is, looking no older than the day it all ended for her. Nina looks at me, her dark blue eyes like whirlpools._

_"Are going to do the same to Stella?"_

My eyes snap open, I search around the room but she's nowhere to found, it was only a dream. My hand reaches out, seeking the soft touch of Erin's hair, longing for the warmth of her smile and her emerald eyes. But when I turn over I see nothing but an empty space. Half of my heart aches for the half that is with her, the remaining fragment of the person I was.

I make my way to the end of the train, my watch tells me its dawn and the only good thing about this journey is watching the sunrise in the glass carriage. But when I get there, there is nothing but darkness, I'm too late; we've already entered the Capital tunnel. Fortunately there is one sight I want to see there.

"Dad!" Jed nearly knocks me over as he throws his arms around me, something he seems to have been waiting to do for hours. He's nearly as tall as me now; nearly a man. But right now he's a child again, a scared child looking to his farther for comfort.

"I know, Jed. I know how horrible this all is. But I'm here now". I whisper, trying my best to sound like Erin. She's always so reassuring.

"But you won't be for much longer."

"You're right. I can't protect you from them. But I'll be watching over you and I'll help you in any way I can, I swear." There's so much more I want to say to him but just then Torey walks in.

The fact I must look like a guilty schoolboy in the principal's office reminds the three of us of the events of last night. However she greets us as if nothing has happened.

"Good morning. Did you get up early to watch the sun rise?" She casually asks.

"Yes. It was beautiful; like you were flying just above the ground." Jed answers, sounding a touch wistful. She nods.

"It's the best thing about this train. It lets you know that the world is still going on around you despite what you're going through." She sounds so wise for someone so young, and so peaceful. Maybe that's why I lashed out at her: I can't believe someone who went through the process I did could come out of it with those traits. Or perhaps I'm jealous of how strong she is.

"Anyway, Cassia wants me to tell you that breakfast is served, she'd tell you herself but she's had change her dress."

"Why?" Jed asks.

"Stella knocked over some golden syrup and it went all over Cassia's dress." Jed and I laugh as we imagine are District's Escort's reaction. I think I can even see Torey try to suppress a smirk.

"Well umm...you go on ahead, Jed, I'll catch up in minute. I just need to talk to Torey about something."

After he leaves the room I go back to being a shamed schoolboy.

"Torey, I'm so sorry about last night. I was just so upset and angry about everything, I was trying to keep in but couldn't any longer. I should never have attacked you like that; especially since I understand how we do things we wouldn't normally ever do outside..."

"No it's OK. You have every right to feel like that. I'm just glad it was here and not in the Capital." She sounds genuinely sincere, it's the first time I've seen her openly express an emotion.

"Thank you". I murmur feebly, not expecting that response. Somehow I doubt Cassia will be this forgiving.

Apart from eyeing me warily over breakfast, Cassia has shown no sign of remembering what happened. She either wants to forget about it or is afraid that I will yell at again if she brought it up. I hope it's not the latter because I know that in her irritating, Capital way she wants to help us and get to know us. She didn't mean to set me off.

The five of us are in the glass carriage so that everyone can get a 360 view of the Capital and the Capital can get a 360 view of us (naturally this was Cassia's idea). At the end of the tunnel we are met by the blinding morning light.

"Don't forget, big smiles." Cassia reminds us for the 4th time. As our eyes adjust to the light the city comes into focus. Tower blocks stretch up to the sky like giant fingers made out of metal and glass which reflect the Sun's rays onto the spotless streets. Stella and Jed don't need to fake their smiles as they gasp in wonder at this amazing landscape for the first time.

The buildings are almost as abstract and dramatic as the people, who start to mill around the train as it begins to slow, even after several visits to this place I still find their died skin, outrageous outfits and tattoos shocking, so I can only imagine what the kids are thinking as their smiles turn into grimaces. I put my arm around Jed's shoulder and wave back to the excited eccentrics. Torey just pouts, does that woman ever smile? But the crowd seems to love it; some even try to mimic her. I can't understand why people who are so over the top could love someone so minimal.

"Welcome to the Capital everyone! Isn't this exciting?" Cassia declares gleefully, loving being back on home turf.

"If you so, Cassia..." I mutter.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Stella

Every inch of my body stung like a thousand wasp stings. I'd closed my eyes a while ago, not wanting to watch these freaks take in my naked body. The one problem with this is that I don't know when they're going to tar of a waxing strip, or pluck at me with tweezers. So every time I felt something touch me a flinched, expecting to hear a ripping sound quickly followed by a hot burst of pain.

"Oh please stay still, Stacy. You don't want me to take off your whole eyebrow, do you?" that annoying Capital voice wines at me.

"It's Stella." I hiss through gritted teeth. These people could probably name 13 different shades of pink, but they can't remember their own tribute's name?

"Oh right, sorry", she chirps, withdrawing her tweezers, not sounding sorry at all. "Well I think we're done. You haven't made this very easy for us with all your squirming but at least you're not a screamer. I think you've done quite well, darling." The other two agree enthusiastically.

Torey and Cole told me over breakfast that I mustn't complain or scream because it would make no difference to what they do to me, and although I've been jumping like a nervous rabbit hardly a sound as escaped my lips.

I look down at my bald legs and glance in the mirror at my newly shaped eyebrows. I've been in the Capital for less than four hours and I already feel and look different.

"Your stylist, Michie, will see you now." Declared a man with strange symbols tattooed all over his blue skin. As they leave I brace myself for the weirdest looking person yet.

The woman who walks in does look just as dramatic as any other Capital citizen, but there's something different about her look.

She's wearing electric blue leather pants (the first women I'd seen in pants since arriving here) which looks like they'd been sprayed on. Her top seems to be made out of chain mail which glitters in the light. Her eye lids are covered in black eye-shadow. Her short hair sticks up in random places and is died every colour imaginable. And a big, sapphire stud shines in nose.

"Hi I'm Michie, your stylist. You must be Stella." She has the accent but it's not as high pitched as the others, and has a bit of attitude to it.

"Yeah, that's me." I answer, not sure of what else to say. She looks me up and down; then walks over to me, looking intently at my hair.

"I like your hair. It's appears to be light brown but when the light catches it you can see some bits of copper. You can put your robe on now."

"Er, thanks." I say gratefully pulling it back on.

"So, do you wear stuff like that dress you wore at the reaping often?"

"No way!" I burst out, not wanting to be seen as girly for a second. "I don't do cute."

She grins.

"Good. Cause neither do I."


	14. Chapter 13

Phew it took me ages to do this one, it's the longest yet. Can you remember the event mentioned here?

Chapter 13: Jed

"We're done. You can open your eyes now, Jed." My stylist, Marvin tells me. For a second I don't recognise the boy in the mirror. My fringe no longer sweeps across my face; instead it sits spiked up just above my forehead.

"It's called a quiff. I know it doesn't fit in with your costume, but your hair kept going in your eyes and we want the audience to see you. I think it suits you, what do you think?"

I grew my fringe for a purpose: so I could hide from the stares I get when I 'm town. Since victors are rare in our district their families become just as famous as them.

Now I will be totally exposed to the entire nation. But it makes me look different; more interesting.

"Yeah, it does suit me, I guess. How will it stay up though? Wouldn't it be flat in the morning?" I say, not completely sure whether I like it or not.

"Normally, yes. But I've added a substance that will keep it firmly in place for about a month. But I can restyle it later if you don't like it." He hastily adds.

"No, I'll see how goes", I say appreciating the extra time he's already put into me. Stylists don't have to do any hands on work, but Marvin insisted on doing my hair himself.

Like most Capital people he does look strange, but he's somehow different from my freakish prep team. He has about eight piercings on his visible body; the metal seems to shine against his dark skin. He has a quiff too, but the back of his hair goes down to his shoulder blades. He's wearing leather pants and a shirt that looks like it's be dipped in 50 different paint pots before being put through a shredder.

"Now it's time to get you into your costume."

I'm not surprised to find out that me and Stella will be dressed as trees. As the lumber district stylists ran out of ideas very quickly. My top is made up of hundreds of pieces of dark fabric green fabric cut into the shape of leaves. My pants are crinkled to make them look like tree trunks and the ends are split and curled up like roots.

"I know: trees! Very original!" he exclaims sarcastically. "But Michie and I wanted to add a little something extra to an ancient theme. We can't believe no one's done it before!" with that he turns on the fan in front of me. All the little "leaves" begin to rustle and move in the breeze like real leaves. My whole outfit appears to have come to life! I'm no longer a boy dressed as a tree, I am a tree!

The tributes and mentors mill around the chariots: in few minutes the doors will swing open and the opening ceremony will begin. I see Torey and Dad standing next to our chariot. Dad rolls his eyes when he sees me.

"Trees again?"He mutters.

"I can't say I'm surprised. The theme has hardly changed in 68 years." Torey adds looking me up and down. "But there's been worse." She says, looking at Dad.

"Yeah. Much worse." He says, cringing.

Just then Stella and a woman with multi-coloured hair, who must be Michie, walks up to us.

Stella is wearing a dress with the same design as my top. It's goes up to the knee at the front, showing leggings which are just like my pants, but it's long at the back and trials behind her. She has red blossoms in her hair, as she gets closer I see they have thorns.

" Is there any wind?" Marvin asks Michie.

"There should be enough to make the leaves move and the petals of the blossoms fall out, as planed", she answers. They both look relived.

"Thank God for that." Marvin smiles.

"All tributes to their chariots! All tributes to their chariots! The opening ceremony will begin in approximately 2 minutes." An announcer booms.

"Me and Cole have to go now, good luck." Torey says, giving us a nod of encouragement.

"You'll be fine. It's just smiling and waving." Dad smiles anxiously.

We step onto the chariot as the mentors and most of the stylists leave the room. Some stay to take care of some finishing touches.

"Cool hair" Stella comments on my new look, clearly trying to take our minds off the thousands of people outside.

"Thanks. Yours looks nice too."

"Thanks. Michie says the blossoms will draw attention to my hair, not that I think there's anything special about it."

"Did she show you the leaf effect?"

"Yeah, it's pretty awesome; it's like the leaves are moving around you. But it'll only work if there's enough wind..."

Suddenly the doors open and the noise of a thousand cheers pour in.

"Feeling nervous?" I ask as District 1 ride out to meet them.

"No", she shakes her head firmly. "As Cole says it's just smiling and waving; nothing to it really."

"Yeah, it's not like we have to do a dance or anything." I say, watching District 3 roll out. For a few seconds we stare at our white knuckles which hold onto the front of the chariot in a vice like grip. District 6 goes, leaving us with a view outside. There are a million different pin points of light among the countless spectators, illuminating their excited faces, although some of them already seem to be getting bored. I gulp, trying to swallow the knot in my chest.

"Actually, I'm terrified!" I confess.

"Me too." Squeaks Stella. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to blot everything out.

"We won't be alone out there, we've got each over. If it goes well we share the success and if it goes bad we share the shame." Despite everything I manage to smile at her. She smiles back.

"Your right. Whatever happens, happens." Our horses plough forward: it's our turn.

"Don't forget, big smiles!" Stella says, impersonating Cassia before we come into full view of the crowd.

The cheers jump up a volume when they see us. Cameras start flashing, lighting up the night like mini lightning strikes. People are pointing at Stella and shouting out her name. I look at her and see why.

The leaves on her dress move with the wind generated by the movement of the horses, making it look as if she's caught in a green cyclone. The petals are floating away into the evening, leaving a crimson trail behind her. Red strikes become visible in her hair as the cameras set it ablaze. She looks like some sort of goddess of the forest, but there's delicateness about her, like she could blow away at any second. She turns to me with a gigantic grin on her face, which I return. Judging by the captivated look she gives, I look quite good too.

The applause and cheers wash all our fears away as we wave and smile at them, amazed at their reaction.

A series of gasps travels along behind us, followed by shouting and even some laughter. We look at each other in puzzlement and turn around to see what's going on. The commotion seems to be caused by the appearance of District 12, although I can't image why because their miner outfits are always over looked. Then we see them. They appear to be covered in black powder and as they get closer I realise that's all they're covered with: They're completely naked!

Only a few hours ago I would have felt exposed if I couldn't hide behind my fringe, but that's absolutely nothing compared to the incredible humiliation they must be feeling.

But embarrassed or not they've upstaged us all.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Stella

Tia had always said President Snow creeps her out because he reminds her of a snake that bit her in the woods once, now I see why. His eyes are cold like a serpent's and hold you in place as he delivers his speech at the end of the chariot ride. I hope the cameras don't look at me too much because I'm not paying attention to what he's saying; his hissing voice goes right through me and I desperately want to block it out. Luckily any extra close ups will probably be on District 12 who seem to be glowing like embers with embarrassment.

The president finishes addressing us and we go into the Training Centre where we will be trapped in the up most luxury of the next four days.

I feel like I've being shot out of a cannon as we zoom up the floors in the elevator. I can't wait to go again; that's at least one thing to look forward to.

After Jed and I get changed we head to the dining room where the others are waiting for us at the grand crystal table in the centre. It's laden with even more food than the one on the train. A fairly plain diet and small portions have given me a healthy appetite and I have to force myself to use the cutlery as I begin to eat. I sample a bit of every dish until my plate is full. The many flavours explode in my mouth, sending my mind into overdrive as I try to figure out what they all are. Although I can detect things like apples, beef and berries there are still some that remain a mystery.

"Well I must say, Michie. You and Marvin have done an incredible job on the costumes, they both looked marvellous!" Cassia enthuses.

"Thank you, Cassia. We wanted to create something eye catching and different. Judging by the reaction I think we managed that." Michie grins, relived that her weeks, perhaps months of hard work has been so well received. "And I'm glad you didn't resent being in a dress too much, Stella." She laughs.

"You won me over with the leaf effect. If you hadn't I wouldn't had been smiling that much." She laughs louder at this while Cassia gives me a disapproving look as I down a glass of what I think is apple juice in almost one go. But as my head spins I realise it was something much stronger, this coupled with the sickly after taste of a dozen dishes is not a nice feeling.

"You'll be pleased to know that you'll be in something that I think is much more to your taste for the interviews." I'm extremely glad that Michie is my stylist because Michie is the only Capital person I've meet who's anywhere near my wave length.

"As long as you don't get any ideas from the idiots that styled District 12 I'm sure it'll be great." Cole says, watching the crowd's reaction to them on the TV behind us.

"Oh don't worry, we won't humiliate them like that just to make a statement, we're not that desperate." Marvin says, sounding quite angry at having his work upstaged like this.

"But after all the coverage it's been getting I wouldn't be surprised if someone tries something similar next year. The costumes are becoming just as competitive as the Games itself." Torey ads, it's the first thing she's said since arriving here.

Torey seems to be a woman of few words, speaking only when she has something interesting or important to say. This means that when she is talking you listen. Whether she's aware of it or not, she is a powerful presence, but not in the menacing way President Snow is. She's powerful because everyone becomes fascinated with what could be hiding behind the fog in her eyes.

While I look into them I see something that I never thought I'd see from her: a smile!

It's small and hardly noticeable but the flicker of light in the fog gives away its presence. I spin around in my seat, making my head swim even more as I try to see what has caused this miracle.

Standing behind me is one of the silent waiters that have been ferrying plates to and from the table. He carries a giant cake with about 10 inches of icing on top. Surly it couldn't have been brought on by something as simple as food?

"Who are these people?" I ask, nodding towards the man with the cake. The conversations around the table abruptly end as everyone looks at me as if I've just asked why Snow is so creepy.

"Stella, they're Avoxes; calling them people is quite a stretch." Cassia answers slowly as if I'm missing half my brain. Torey's smile dies but the spark in her eyes burns more fiercely, before the fog engulfs all emotions again.

"Avoxes are traitors of the Capital", she explains, her voice as even has usual. But it appears to waver ever so slightly as she says the last part. "Their tongues have been cut out and they must serve the Capital for the rest of their days." Now I have no doubt that the smile was for the enslaved man behind me, who will never talk or be treated as a human again.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Jed

"As you know today is your first day of training. There will be dozens of stations, ranging from edible plants to spear throwing so you will have quite a selection." Torey reminds us as we tuck into breakfast.

"We both agree that it you should save your best skills for the private sessions. That means no axes for you, Jed and no running for you, Stella. But I think you should go to the sword station, Jed just long enough to remind you of the skills you taught yourself." Dad says, miming quotation marks as says he says "skills you taught yourself", remembering what I'd said when I was caught with his prize sabre. "And perhaps you could get hold of some wood and try making weapons, like you said you could, Stella." She nods, looking disappointed that running was off menu.

When it's time to head to Training Dad stops us at the elevator.

"I almost forgot. Stay close together at training."

"Why?" I ask.

"I, I mean we want you to show a united front in there. The careers will be going round in a group and will be dominating the stations. Don't confront them but show them you're not intimidated by them." He rushes his explanation as the elevator operator loses his patience and closes the doors.

"You know why he really wants us to together right?" Stella asks as we zoom towards the ground.

"No", I answer, giving her a confused look.

"He wants us to become allies, to stay together during the Games. That way he can put off choosing between us for as long as possible."

I'm going to ask what she means when the doors open, revealing a huge room resembling the shabby gymnasium at school, but much grander and bigger. We're one of the last to enter, only District 6 and 3 appear to be absent. The careers are already in full flow at the combat stations. I grimace as I watch Kayden throw the small boy from district 9 across the wresting station. He picks him up again and holds him high above his head as if he weighed no more than a bag of dried leaves. With a malicious smile on his face as he slams him down with a bone shattering thud!

"Well, I vote we stay away from the combat stations for now." Stella says nervously.

"Agreed."

"How much longer is that going to take?" I moan impatiently, watching her file a piece of wood from the fire station into a point with a sharp stone (also from the fire station). She's been there for what feels like hours, working on the same piece of wood. I lost patience a while ago and visited the nearby stations. So far I've learned how to start fires, tie a few basic knots and how to make a shelter out of branches. But when I returned she was exactly the same as I left her.

She looks up from her cross legged position and glares at me.

"It'll be done when it's done." She snarls. A few minutes later she blows the saw dust off it and smiles proudly.

"There, a handmade dagger." Then she finally gets up and walks over to the knots station and grabs a piece of rope. She holds it in one hand a cuts it in two with the jagged wooden blade. Her smile turns into a grin.

"It works!"

"Great. Can we do what I want to do now?"

We finish our lunch as quickly as possible, determined to get to the combat stations before the Careers. The other tributes must think we've been starved for half our lives. I dash straight to the sword section and pick up the one that most resembles Dad's. All the memoires of my secret time in the woods flood back to me, I block out everything in the room. It's just me, the sword and the words of the instructor.

Slash! I swing the blade towards the dummy with all my strength. Its head is sliced clean off and rolls across the floor. Part of me finds this alarming as it envisions me doing that to a real person, but I've never felt more powerful in my entire life. For the first time since being reaped I truly believe I have a chance of winning this. A chance to go back home with Dad and be with my family again.

"Hey, Jed! I'm going on one of those running machines. Wanna come with?" Stella asks, I have no idea how long I've been here or if she's even been here with me.

"Dad said no running."

"One your Dad's not here and two I won't be going really fast. It'll just be a jog to help me stay in shape. Nothing to draw attention to myself." She says in a forceful tone. I decide not to argue with her because she seems like the type who will hold their ground even after it's crumbled beneath them.

It takes a little while to get used to the weird sensation of moving but not going anywhere. But we soon do and start jogging away. After a while I'm beginning to pant but Stella hasn't broken a sweat, she's completely in the zone (where ever that may be).

Suddenly the boy from District 1 joins us, setting off at a run. He smiles snidely at Stella.

"You're not going to get away from anything at that speed." He comments, glancing at her monitor.

"I'm not even trying; I could go a lot fast if I wanted to." She says, trying to act tough.

The boy looks shocked for a second at this comeback, but his sneer soon falls back into place.

"Prove it." He dares her. Her eyes narrow, sensing a challenge.

"Fine, I will." She declares as she cranks up the speed. She's not kidding, she is fast! But the boy matches her speed in an instant. It gets faster and faster as the scene turns into a race. Now their legs are a blur as they go into a full on sprint. You can hear their lung pump air in and out. Their skin boils from the heat they generate. But Stella keeps her head down. She's hell bent on winning. Utterly determined. Absorbed into the zone. Then there's a shriek as the boy's legs admit defeat and send him flying off the machine! Stella's grinds to a halt beside it.

"YES!" She punches the air in triumph. "That'll teach you to mess with Stella Grimeshaw!"

"Ummm, Stella. Can you keep your celebration down?" I whisper to her looking across the room. She follows my gaze. Everyone is staring at her.

So much for not drawing attention to yourself.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Cole

I swirl the wine around in my glass, watching the liquid lap at the sides like bloody waves. The chatter swims around me like fish in a school, it's impossible to pick out individual conversations. I look up to see that most of the people have left their seats and have gathered in small clumps around the vast room. Most of them are Capital citizens but among them are 23 past victors, who like me have had a young person's life thrown into their hands. The people they meet at this Sponsor Banquet could make all the difference in the Games.

There a three Sponsor Banquets during the Games: the first is tonight after the first day of training, the second is the first day of the Games and the third is when the final eight is reached. This is the time when District Escorts and Mentors mingle with Capital citizens and businesses; their aim is to gain their support as a sponsor. I hate them because it reminds me of just how responsible I am for my District's tributes.

Cassia and Torey are in the corner with a couple of Capital people. Cassia spots me and beckons me over.

"Are, here he is now. Cole this is Flavious Cane and Augustus Reem, former Game makers. We were just talking about how you're the first ever mentor to be mentoring their own child!" Cassia introduces me to them.

"Our yes, you must be so proud of the boy. He could be following in his father's footsteps!" Exclaims Augustus as he shakes my hand.

"And you can share his glory if he does." grins Flavious, showing his silver teeth. Anger boils within me as I listen to these people joke and get excited about what my son is about to go through. But I clear my throat and say.

"Well, I can't take all the credit. Torey's as much his mentor as I am, so we'll have to split the glory three ways." Putting on the smile that accompanies this statement is almost painful, but they laugh all the same.

"Of course! We mustn't forget the incredible Miss Lawrence! I'm sure she's a fantastic mentor, nothing ruffles your feathers does it, my dear?" Flavious says, raising an eyebrow quizzically. Her face remains a mask.

"Nothing that you know of." This answer seems capture his attention.

"Oh, is there something you're not telling me?"

Now I realise why they love her so much: they think she's mysterious. When you're surrounded by people who are as shallow as people like them, someone who's as hard to read as Torey must be completely captivating. They all want to find the human under the armour. And when she does allow you to catch a glimpse of her, she makes feel like you're the only one who's seen it. I don't know if this is an act or not but if it is it's ingenious. She has them eating out of her palm right now as she talks about Jed and Stella, they will sponsor at least one of them for sure.

"Hello, Cole." A voice almost whispers in my ear. I turn around to find a beautiful woman who barely looks older than the day she won the Games. Her blonde hair falls in ringlets around her shoulders and halter neck gown sparkles. By her side stands a man who looks like the male vision of her.

"Ah, hello, Cashmere. I see you and your brother are mentoring this year." I answer nodding to him.

"That must be good for you, Gloss. Who better to show you the ropes than your very own sister?" Cassia adds, trying to bring them into the conversation.

"Yeah, it's an honour to be chosen to a mentor considering I only won a couple of years ago myself and sharing that honour with Cashmere has made it even better," he answers with a smile. But Cashmere isn't interested in this small talk.

"I hope you don't mind if I borrow Cole for a few minutes, do you?" she asks.

"Of course not, you go can ahead, Cole. Me and Cassia will see if we can make an arrangement with these gentleman" Torey says.

We gather in another corner, out of ear shot of everyone else. Almost instantly their relaxed politeness washes away.

"Today one of your tributes showed my tribute up! I believe her name is Stella." Gloss growls.

"Excuse me?" I splutter, shocked by this sudden confrontation.

"What, didn't she tell you about the treadmill thing? She challenged Chase to a race. The machine went to fast and he fell off. She made a huge scene, everyone saw what happened! The Game Makers were laughing at him!" He seemed to be getting angrier with every word.

"I realise your upset that Chase was humiliated like that, but I don't see what this has got to do with me…"

"You're her mentor. You tell her what to do in training. You..." He's struggling to stop himself from shouting now. Cashmere puts a hand on his shoulder.

"There, there, it's OK, Gloss. I'll handle this. Why don't you be a darling a get us drink?" She talks him as if he's puppy. He does as he's told, leaving us alone.

"What he's trying to say is we think this was your plan." She says it sweetly but I can see she's as enraged as her brother.

"My plan? I told her to stay away from the Careers and running! What happened was purely between her and Chase. Why would I want to sabotage his chances?" I say, appalled by what she is suggesting.

"As one of the most successful Districts we expect some resentment and jealousy. But we have to work just as hard as the others, in fact more so because we have a reputation to up hold." She's says her voice getting higher by the minute.

"This isn't about reputation or winning streaks, Cashmere. It's about keeping our tributes alive."

"What do you think I'm right now? I'm protecting our tributes by making sure nobody gets the better of them. You think that because I haven't been in this game as long as you I don't know how it works, but I know how these people think, how fickle they can be. One little slip could be the end of you." She answers through gritted teeth.

I open my mouth to apologise on Stella's behalf but my tongue develops a mind of its own:

"You're just ticked off that not everyone's afraid of them." At this her controlled demure shatters. She screams like a five year old having a temper tantrum.

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHO YOU'RE DEALING WITH! TWO CAN PLAY DIRTY!I CAN MAKE LIFE VERY HARD FOR YOU AND YOUR LITTLE TRIBUTES!" There is silence as every head in the room turns to face us, hungry for drama. Gloss appears at her side once again, holding two glasses full of drink. She grabs one without looking and gulps it down. Gloss looks horrified.

"No, Cashmere! That one was meant for..." but it's too late. The colour in her face drains as she clamps a hand over her mouth and rushes to the toilets! The laughter follows her across the room. Something tells me this isn't the last I'll see of her or her brother.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Jed

Stella and I have been lying low for most of training, choosing to hang around the survival stations and stay away from the careers again, especially after yesterday and what Dad had told us about Cashmere's threat. Stella's watching the girl from District 3 make snares with the same amount of focus and patience she had when making the dagger, copying her nibble fingers carefully. They sit in silence, quietly acknowledging each other's work with a nod and smile, not wanting to disturb this rare moment of peace. I linger at camouflage station next to them, painting my arm in a mud like brown paint. I wish was holding a sword in my hand instead of a paint brush because I know that's the only skill I have and I need to learn more, fast.

I'm the first to finish lunch and I speed straight towards the sword station. There's no one else around so I can hear every swish of the blade as it cuts through the air. I slash at one dummy after another, knocking them off their unstable feet imagining they're President Snow and his cronies, the people who dragged me away from my home and my mother to live in this nightmare. It feels good to finally unleash my anger on these lifeless beings as I stab the last one standing in the chest. Take that, President Snow!

As it hits the ground I hear someone slowly clapping behind me. I spin round to see it's the girl from District 1; she looks at me with a smile on her face.

"That's some pretty good skills you've got there, Jeddie" she says, striding over.

"It's Jed", I frown, uncertain of what to make of her apparent friendliness.

"I know. You do pretty well against those dummies but how well do you do against humans?" She asks continuing to move towards me, her sky blue eyes locked on mine.

"I've never used it on humans", I say before I can stop myself, not wanting to look weak. She inches away from my face now.

"Well you're going to have to sooner later. How about sooner?" she almost purrs.

"Er..W-w-what?" I stumble, trying to step away from her.

"How about you fight someone now?"

"Who?" I ask. She rolls her eyes at this and grins mischievously.

"Me, of course. I'm pretty handy with a sword myself."

"I...I don't know." I murmur, getting nervous. "Dad told me to stay away from the Careers." She laughs her blue eyes light up and her intimating look is replaced by one of beauty. She sweeps her long, light blonde hair behind her ear.

"Oh come on, I promise to go easy on you. You need the practise and I need a new opponent." The rest of the Careers have come over, wondering what she could possibly be doing with a District 7 boy. Stella wonders over from the knife throwing station, flashing me a curious look.

"Yeah go on, District 7." Kayden sneers. "Or do you need Daddy's permission first." The rest of the pack burst into hysterics.

Embarrassment and anger fill me up, clouding my common sense.

"OK, you're on!" I probably won't win but if I back down now I'll lose all respect from the Game Makers, who watch this scene from their private box. The girl gives me a wicked smile.

"Great" she walks over to a rack containing a collection of swords. She runs her fingers along the tops of the handles, as if she's looking for a good book on a book shelf. She stops at one with a scarlet handle and pulls it out. The instructor orders us to stand a few feet away from each other.

"Ready?" the girl asks. I nod.

"Then let's begin!" She says a split second before rushing towards me, blade drawn!

A swing my sword in front of me. Just in time to block it. There's a tremendous clash as metal hits metal. She pulls away. We circle each other for moment before she swings it towards me again. Again I block it but this time I pull away and try to get a hit of my own. Our blades collide repeatedly as we go back and forth across the mat. I can see her calculating every move, handling the weapon with a knowing hand. She's had hundreds of fights like this. But I have adrenaline and instinct on my side. I also have strength and when it's my turn to strike I put every bit of it behind the sword, forcing her to lean back. I see the surprise on her face.

"I'm not as easily beaten as you'd expect." I say to her, my face centimetres from her ear. She pushes me away.

"We'll see about that! I've been going easy on you up until now!" she shouts. The Careers cheer as her strikes come thick and fast. I struggle to block them, my lack of experience finally showing. Suddenly her foot shots out and she kicks me in the shin! I scream and double over in pain, losing my grip on the handle. She snatches it out my hand and when I get back up she has one a hare's breath from my throat and the other resting at the back of my head!

We stay in that position for a few seconds, panting and staring into each other's eyes. Then she releases me.

"Not bad, Jeddie Boy. Keep it up and you might just beat me next time." She says as if we'd just finished a game of chest instead of a sword fight. She walks away with the other careers, leaving me standing dazed in the middle of the mat.

"My name's Fuchsia, since you didn't ask. Like the flower." She calls behind her.

"Well there's defiantly nothing sweet about her." Says Stella glaring at her back. "No offence, Jed, but what were you thinking? She totally owned you."


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 19: Stella

"Jed, what happened to you?" Cole asks with concern, as Jed rubs the spot where Fuchsia kicked him for the third time since sitting down to dinner.

"Nothing. I just tripped over some rope in the knot tying station." He lies. "Right, Stella?" I nod, backing up his story. On our way up from training we'd agreed not to say a word to Torey or Cole about this because he'd ordered us to stay away from tributes like Fuchsia. Besides, I owe him one for not telling anyone about my little race.

"So there were no problems with District 1, were there?" Cole asks a grain of suspicion in his voice.

"No." we chorus, trying our best to sound innocent.

"Oh, that's not what Cashmere said when I saw her this afternoon." Cassia suddenly speaks up. I glare at her, willing her to shut up. But she ignores me and carries on. "She said that she and her tribute, I think her name is Rose or Lilly or something..."

"Fuchsia. Her name is Fuchsia." Jed informs us, I redirect my "shut up" glare from Cassia to him. He looks at me apologetically, realising he's said too much. Cole eyes us curiously.

"Our, that's it, Fuchsia. Anyway she said she and Fuchsia had come up with a plan to get back at you two and Cole. I can't possibly imagine what you did to upset her!" She babbles on, turning to our mentor.

"We just had a little disagreement, that's all", he answers with a dismissive wave of the hand, not wanting to give away the details to someone with such a lose tongue. He turns his attention to Jed. "This Fuchsia gave you that injury, didn't she?" Jed squirms in his seat, not answering. "Didn't she?" he repeats with more force.

"Yes." He answers, bowing his head, seeing that the evidence is all against us. "We had a sword fight and she kicked me in the shin."

"Who won?" Torey asks, sounding as neutral as ever.

"Does it matter who won? Jed, I specifically told you not to interact with the Careers! I can't believe you disobeyed me! I'm disappointed in you, not just as your mentor but also as your father!" Cole says angrily, giving him the same lecture he gave me when he found out about the race (minus the "as your father" bit), oblivious to the three other people in the room.

"Sorry, Dad." Jed murmurs sheepishly.

"I want you to stay away from that girl from now on, she's trouble. Make no mistake about that." Now this I agree with, I can trust her as far as I can spit.

"But they should leave us alone now, right? It's one all, we showed them up and they showed us up, we're even." I say.

"Probably, but you're on their radar now. They won't forget you when you're in the area."

Despite Cole's outbursts I have not seen anything to justify my father's grudge. I know he wants to help us but whenever he's talking to us I can't help but think of what Dad said in the Justice Building about his broken promise. Even now I can't stop going through all the possibilities of what could have happened to shatter their friendship. I have never had the opportunity to ask him and I doubt he would give me an answer if I did.

My thoughts are interrupted by the footsteps of the Avoxes as they silently clear our table and lay out the desserts, which as nearly as colourful as the people who reside in this city. The Avox Torey smiled at enters, with a cake that's even bigger than the one two nights ago. But he seems unbalanced as he makes his way to the table, swaying left to right under its weight. Suddenly he legs give way and his whole body, along with the cake, is thrown forward! The scene in front of me seems to unravel in slow motion. I see Torey spring out of her seat to catch him before he hits the floor. The cake sails through the air and lands right in Cassia's lap. We all stay as still and as quite as statues for what feels like two minutes, but could only have been two seconds. Then everything speeds up again.

Cassia screams as if the cake is made of acid. Two pairs of eyes follow her as she clicks across the room in her very high heels to the bathroom, but the third is focused on the victor and the Avox. Torey gently helps him straighten up and her hand remains on his shaking shoulder as she tries to comfort him.

"Don't be scared, I'm here. I won't let them punish you. God knows you've suffered enough." I hear her whisper to him. Not only does she say it with concern and compassion, she says it as if she knows the person behind the uniform and silence.


	20. Chapter 19

Warning: do not read this at night with the lights turned out if you have a very nervous disposition (it's probably not that scary but you can never be more careful :lol: )

Chapter 20: Cole

_I wake up to find Nina staring right at me, her face inches from mine. I nearly jump ten feet in the air._

_"Nina, don't do…"_

_"There's something in the trees" she whispers fearfully. Within seconds I'm on my feet, sword drawn, looking into the darkness above._

_"What kind of something?" May, our ally asks wearily._

_"They're not animals; there not tributes either. They're…some kind of monsters! Can't you hear them?" Nina replies, sounding more distressed with every passing second. We stand incredibly still, listening to the wind blow snow off the branches. Then we all hear it, a low hissing sound accompanied by the light scratching of claws against wood. We look at one another, fear building within us. Whatever they are, they're getting closer. Suddenly a terrible, unearthly screech is unleashed directly above us!_

_"RUN!" I shout._

_Despite the 4 inch snow the three of us run as fast as we would if we were running on hot coals. But the mutations are right behind us! When I look behind me I can only see the snow fall off the branches as they land on them. Hear their blood curdling howls as the close in on us! After about five minutes of being chased by these creatures we're losing speed; in a few moments they'll have us! I skid to halt._

_"Cole, what are you doing?" May screams. I left up my sword and turn around._

_"Get Nina out of here! We can't out run them so we'll have to fight them!" I brace myself as the things gather in the trees around me. Nothing happens._

_"Come on! Show yourselves!" I yell into the night._

_Suddenly something leaps out of the trees! I catch it with my sword on the way down. It screeches as it slides across the snow, its blood dying the ground red. The creature lying in front of me is the single most terrifying thing I have ever seen. It's shaped like a human but its skin is as black as coal and its has claws and teeth which look as fierce as a wolf's. But it's the eyes that scare me. Those bottomless, Scarlett eyes that seem to hold all the evil in the world within them._

_"LOOK OUT!" Nina shrieks as more jump towards me! I fend them off with my blade, every screech sounding more horrible than the last. May takes down a few with her bow and arrows._

_"I said get out of here!"_

_"No way! We're not leaving you alone with these things!" Nina yells back defiantly as she throws a knife into one of the monsters. _

_The attacks seems endless as more and more throw themselves at us, claws out, ready to kill._

_Then I hear a different but very familiar voice._

_"DAD!" Jed calls through the forest._

_"Jed!"_

_"Dad, what's going on?" He crashes through the trees seeming oblivious to the things that are lying in wait above him._

_"No! Don't come any closer..." But it's too late. The creatures land on him, forcing him to the ground. He screams as their claws tare at his clothes, trying to reach the flesh underneath. I run to him but when a reach him something blocks my way. I slash at the invisible wall, trying to break it, but it's no use. All I can do is watch as his cries become fainter and fainter._

_Dad! Dad! Dad..."_

"Dad! Wake up!" A firm but gentle hand grabs my shoulder, pulling me out of my nightmare.

"Erin?" I ask desperately as I open my eyes, seeking the comfort only she can give me.

"No, it's me, Jed. Mum's not here." He says, attempting to mimic her soothing tone.

As everything comes into focus I see I'm standing in the dining room. The corridor to the elevator lies behind me in chaos. Vases are in pieces on the floor, small tables are over turned and a portrait has been knocked off the wall. I have been responsible for many messes like this during my sleepwalks, when I act out the memories of the arena. I start shaking uncontrollably.

"It's OK. They can't hurt you now and you can't hurt them." Jed quotes Erin's words perfectly, how many times has he heard her say them? Then I see her.

Stella stands in front of me, looking shocked, confused and concerned all at the same time. I hold a invisible sword a few centimetres in front of her, my hand still stuck in my dream.

"How much did you two see?" I asked, my voice quivering.

"You woke us up when you smashed one of the vases and shouted "run". You were moving around so much it took Jed a while to get hold of you." She says. At this point Torey appears with a mug of something green and steaming.

"Sorry I didn't come sooner. It's dangerous to wake a sleepwalker." She says, her calm control feeling comforting. It's strange to see her strawberry blonde hair around her shoulders instead of in her usual tight bun.

"It's OK. I'm hazardous to be around when I'm sleeping walking." I say, trying to dispel my shaken tone. She spots the wreckage in the corridor.

"So I see. Here take this, its pine needle tea. My mother used to make it when I had nightmares." She says, sounding a bit sad as she hands me the mug. The tea smells of home and starts to warm me up as she places it in my hands. She turns to Jed whose hand still rests on my shoulder. "You've done a good job, Jed. Not many people would approach someone in that stare. But I'll take it from here." He looks at her disapprovingly. "You need your rest, the private sessions are tomorrow." She adds before he can protest. He mutters something under his breath as he reluctantly lets go. Torey holds out her hand. "Come with me."

"No, I'm fine now. I'll just go to bed…" I start to make my way to my room but she blocks my way.

"You're not OK. You still look shaken up. We don't have to talk or anything, just sit with me in my room and drink your tea." She gently orders me. Feeling too tired to fight I nod and follow her. As we make our way across the room I nearly step on one of the disks that are strewn across the floor. It reads "The 44th Hunger Games". I think nothing of it until we turn the corner and I catch a glimpse of Stella leaning over to pick it up, a curious look in her eyes.


	21. Chapter 20 Chapter 21

Chapter 20: Jed

"What's that?" I ask Stella who's staring intently at something in her hands. She walks over and holds it up for me to see. It's a small, dusty old disk, the kind that has something recorded on it so people can view it long after it has been broadcast.

"A load of them must have been in one of the boxes Cole knocked over. I've heard the Capital like to buy recorded copies of the Games so they can watch them over and over again." She says her mind somewhere else. I look more closely at the disk, the words "the 44th Hunger Games" is written in swirly hand writing across the case. Dad's Games!

Stella starts to walk towards the TV, taking the disk out of its case.

"Stella! What are you doing!" I almost yell, even though I know exactly what she's doing. She looks up; surprised.

"Don't you realise what this means? The question that's been hanging over all our heads can finally be answered: what happened to Nina in the Games and what did Cole do?" She sees my unease.

"Come on. Haven't you ever wondered what your Dad dreams about when he has a nightmare, why he never talks about the Games?" I have. There have been some days when I've nearly asked him, but whenever I'm about to he seems to sense what's about to come out of my mouth and changes the subject.

"Some things are best left alone, best forgotten." I answer, quoting my mother for the second time tonight.

"For years I've refused to believe that my father's grudge is unjustified; there must be a good reason for it. But after meeting Cole I find it hard to believe he could be capable of doing something that terrible. I don't know who to believe any more." She sounds desperate to learn the truth and I can see there's absolutely no way of talking her out this. The light bounces off the disk in her hand reflecting rainbows onto the wall. It as if it's talking to me, telling me to watch it.

"Alright. Put it on."

The tape starts with the reapings, flashing through district after district as the children are called to their deaths. The thought that all but one of them is dead send shivers down my spine. When we get to District 7 we see a small red headed girl take to the stage in the very same dress Stella wore, her identical dark blue eyes looking sadly out into the crowd as a boy who must be her brother cries out in anguish. Then Dad's name rings across the square as he is pulled to the stage, looking around in disbelief. I gasp, it's almost like looking in the mirror, the only thing that sets us apart is his hazel eyes which look lost as they wonder around the square, trying to process the nightmare that has begun.

The tape then moves on to the opening ceremonies. Dad and Nina try their best to smile and look confident, but I imagine that must have been difficult to do when you have what looks like an entire tree perched on your head.

Then the tributes faces flash up on the screen as their training scores are revealed, just as ours will be in less than 24 hours. As usual the Careers score the highest, the boy from District two getting an eleven. But Dad gets a 10 which is virtually unheard of for a non- Career tribute; I cannot help but feel proud of him. Nina's score is quite unexpected as well: a seven, I see Stella smiling out of the corner of my eye.

Next are the interviews. Nina is sweet and charming, the audience love her. But when asked about how she'd fair against the bigger tributes her face hardens as she says:

"I may be small but I have some tricks up my sleeve. I'm not always as sweet as I seem."

When Dad steps up Caesar Flickerman says:

"Now we're all dying to know who the girl that shouted "I love you" at the station was." Dad smiles.

"That was my girlfriend, Erin."

"Do you love her?"

"Yes, I do." He says without hesitation. He looks right into the camera." I love you, Erin." The boy from District 2 pretends to be sick behind him. But the audience give a chorus of "ahhs".

"Another thing you've got us all wondering, Cole, is: is it true you're best friends with Nina's brother." At this Dad's face takes on a much more serious expression.

"It's true; we've been friends since our first day at school. He and Nina are practically family. That's why I promised him I'd protect her."

"Wow! And how far would you go to protect her?" Again he looks into the camera, there's a pause. But the words that come out of his mouth still sound like he absolutely means it:

"I'd die protecting her!" So my father went into the arena prepared to die, prepared to sacrifice everything for another. I wonder what Mum though of this.

We're perched on the edge of our seats as the interviews end, the screen goes black and then we see the arena Dad fought in and Nina died in for the very first time.

Chapter 21: Stella

The screen brightens and the camera swoops around a dead forest of naked trees, covered in snow. Behind it are mountains and in the centre is the Cornucopia. The tributes breathe clouds as they wait for the cannon. When the bang echoes in the air all hell breaks loose!

Everyone rushes to the golden horn, including Nina and Cole. Nina grabs a backpack but is tackled to the ground by the boy from District 4. He holds a sword in his hand a grins menacingly as she struggles. He doesn't see the club in Cole's hand until it connects with his head. Cole pulls her up and takes the sword from the now unconscious Career. They run off hand in hand into the woods.

As they show the faces of those who were killed that day, he lets out a sigh of relief.

"Good. May's still alive."

"Who's May?" Nina asks.

"You know, the girl from District 10. We hung out with in training."

"Oh, yeah." She nods. "I'm glad she's OK. Think we'll run into her?"

"Maybe. But first you get some sleep; I'll take the first watch."

The next morning Cole goes to fill up there water bottles at a nearby stream. Suddenly his name is screamed through the trees. He drops the bottle and runs to them. He arrives at their camp to the sight of Nina up a tree, her feet inches from the snapping jaws of a huge bear! Cole shouts at it, the bear replies with a roar and runs at him teeth bore. But Cole has his sword with him and hits its shoulder. This only makes the beast angrier and it comes at him harder. He manages to dodge it and lands a couple more blows. The second time he's not as lucky as its claws catch his arm. He reels back. The bear sees it chase and lunges at him, pinning him to the ground. It looks like it's all over. But just when its teeth are about to make contact with his throat Nina lands on top of it and stabs it in the back of the neck with a knife. She gets off its lifeless body and helps Cole push it off him.

"I think that makes it 1-1 now." She grins.

The next couple of days are quite uneventful for the pair as they trek through the frosty forest. They really are like brother and sister, teasing each over and recounting stories of before the Games. My father had always portrayed my aunt as being a vulnerable, sweet little girl, but I can see that she is nothing like that. She strong and fierce, I'm proud to say I'm her niece. Meanwhile the Careers are on the hunt; they've already killed three people and are keen to make Cole the fourth after what he did to the boy from District 4.

One night Cole and Nina are awoken by the sound of running feet. A girl with long black hair and pale skin runs right past the tree they're in, too concerned with the two careers chasing her to notice them.

"It's May! Stay here." Cole whisper as he quickly climbs down, sword in hand. He dashes after them before Nina can protest. The Careers, the boy from District 4 and the girl from 1 have got May up against a tree and are arguing about who gets to kill her.

"Neither of you do." Cole's voice interrupts as he catches up with them. They turn around in surprise, but it's soon replaced with anger when they realise who it is.

"Glad you could join us, District 7. My trident wants a word with you". The boy from District 4 snarls before throwing it at him. He ducks and it hits a tree behind him. The boy pays for his arrogance for not bringing another weapon with a stab to the chest from a furious Cole. I hear Jed gasp next to me as the cannon goes off. A look of utter disbelief on his face as he realises what his father has done. He must have known Cole had killed, every victor has but seeing it happen can be very different from just knowing it happened.

The girl from District 1 gets her knives out, but is interrupted by the sound of a string being drawn back.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Growls May, an arrow ready in her bow, trained on the girl's head. Seeing that she's now the one outnumbered she retreats.

"Good thing you showed up, Cole, otherwise that cannon would have been for me. Does this mean we're allies now?" She says. He doesn't answer; just standing over the boy's body, watching the blood pool around him, standing out against the white snow.

"I...killed...him." he whispers numbly. She walks over and hugs his shock frozen form.

"I know, I can't even imagine what you're going through. But it was either one them or me. I'm glad you chose me." She says soothingly.

Of course after this May joins them. They're the perfect team, working together like old friends . They even manager to bring down an entire deer, something that will keep their food supply full for days.

One night Nina wakes them up, saying she could hear monsters. They all look up suddenly and then look at each other look, terrified, but we can't hear a thing. Suddenly Cole yells "RUN!" and they all race across the snow. Cole stops, ready to fight whatever is out there, but he just slashes at thin air and May shoots at nothing. They must have eaten something to make them hallucinate, whatever they are seeing must be horrible. They're too busy fighting the invisible monsters to see the Careers creeping up on them. The boy from District 2 grabs May from behind and slits her throat! But they seem to see something too and run away screaming before they can do any more damage. The attack has been enough to snap the three out of it and they dash to May's side. She tries to speak but Cole gently shushes her and her cradles her in his arms silently. Neither let themselves shed a single tear until the cannon goes off.

"I can't stand being in this forest a second longer." He tells Nina when he finally lets the hovercraft take her. "Tomorrow we go to the mountains."

They walk for the whole of the next day, eventually they reach a big cliff. Cole points out a big sheet of ice stretching from the cliff to the other side where the mountains are, like a giant bridge.

"I'm not sure about that, Cole, it doesn't look safe." Nina says uncertainly.

"Nothing in this arena is safe." He almost snaps, as they reach they ice bridge.

"But it's a trap; the Game Makers want us to cross it."

"Of course they want us to cross it, how else will we get to the other side!" He retorts as he stamps his foot on the ice. "It seems stable enough."

"But..."

"Nina, we can stay in the woods any longer. The Careers are there and all sorts of other dangerous things. I can't leave in that much danger. Please just trust me." He almost begs. She signs.

"OK. But only because I promised Ethan we'd stick together."

They make their way across the ice, treading carefully as if they're walking on thin paper that could rip at any second. Suddenly there's a loud crack behind them, followed by another, then another. All of a sudden the whole bridge starts to break down behind them! They run the rest of the way, the ice falling into the abyss just two feet away. Nina trips! But Cole manages to get a hold of her hand just as the ice falls beneath her. There they are, Cole leaning over the edge, perched on the last bit of ice, a foot from the other side, with Nina dangling helplessly. The ice he's perched on begins to crack. We can see her saying something to him but the sound of the ice is too loud to hear them. Cole yells something back and shakes his head; Nina shouts another thing looking desperate.

Her other hand swings up and touches Cole's. It's at that moment that he lets her go! Letting her plummet to her death!

We sit in absolute shock, barley able to process what we've seen. We hear a gasp behind us and turn around to find the man himself staring at the screen. He hastily grabs the remote and kills the tape. It's OK, I've seen everything I need to see. My shock is replaced with pure rage as I get up.

"Stella, I know what it looks like but it's not what you think." He says, sounding panic stricken now that his secret's out. He holds his hands up as if it will protect him from what I say.

"OH I SEE EXACTLY HOW IT IS, COWARD!" I scream, seeing the so called man he really is for the first time. "YOU LET MY AUNT DIE TO SAVE YOUR OWN SKIN! YOUR ALLY, YOUR BEST FRIEND'S SISTER THE GIRL YOU SAID YOU'D DIE PROTECTING AND YOU AS GOOD AS KILLED HER!" He collapses into a chair, looking crushed, not even attempting to deny it. But as I walk away he managers to murmur one thing.

"I had no choice."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 23: Jed

"...Of course you should show them your sword skills, but make sure to show some variety as well. Weld an axe, show them something you've picked up really well in survival training, I think you said something about learning to make shelter really well...Jed, are you even listening to me?" My father suddenly yells, realising I've been staring at my hands for the last few minutes, unable to meet his gaze. I've been playing the moments Nina's life ended over and over again in my head, trying to trick myself into believing that boy wasn't him, telling myself he'd never do something like that. But when I'm forced to look up I see the same frustrated and desperate look in his eyes he had when he led her across the ice, and the question that has been whirling around in my head all night blast its way to the surface.

"Yeah, you said to use axes and some survival skills as well as the swords in the private session." I mutter irritably, part of me wishing Stella hadn't requested separate mentoring first, then I could be with Torey and not have to face the stranger in father's skin.

"Good, and don't use that tone with me, young man! Remember I'm still your farther..."

"WHAT KIND OF A FATHER KEEPS SECRETS LIKE THAT FROM HIS OWN SON? WHY DID YOU NEVER TELL ME THE TRUTH?" I suddenly scream at him, unable to hold it in any longer. He looks stunned, then hurt. It's his turn to examine his hands as he murmurs sorrowfully:

"I've seen the way people look at me, the way they talk about me: I'm a killer. As long as the two people who really matter to me don't see that, I can deal with it. But seeing my own son look at me that way would kill me."

"SO YOU BURIED THE TRUTH! TRIED TO MAKE MUM FORGET ABOUT IT AND KEEP ME FROM EVER FINDING OUT!"

"I was going to tell you..."

"WHEN?" I await this answer eagerly but it doesn't come, he just sits there in silence.

"JUST AS I THOUGHT: NEVER!" I get up, unable to be with this person I used to believe in for a second longer. I ignore the scrapping of chair legs and sound of feet rushing after me as I head to the elevator.

"Jed! Jed, please let me explain..."

"You broke the most important promise of your life and pretended it never happened. What's left to explain?" I say as the elevator doors slide shut, blocking out his pathetic pleas.

It's the end of lunch and the boy from District 1 has just been called out. The other Careers pat him on the back as he goes. Me and Stella sit in on the table opposite them, trying to block out their bragging match on how well they're going to do. When Fuchsia is called up she flashes a confident smile my way.

"Wish me luck, Jeddie." She calls as she struts out. The Careers exchange confused looks while Stella groans and wonders out loud why she's still bothering me. But for some reason I smile.

We sit in silence for the rest of the time as the others are called up one by one, our nerves building.

"I heard you yelling this morning." Stella pipes up, as the girl from District 6 goes, deciding that conversation is the best distraction.

"Yeah, no prizes for guessing who I was yelling at." I say expecting to feel angry when remembering it, but instead I just feel sad.

"He deserved it." She says, channelling my lost anger for me. Judging by the look in her eyes her outrage at what he did hasn't cooled.

"It's easy for you to mad at him, but he's my Dad. He and Mum have been the only people who have ever really cared about me." I voice feelings out loud.

"That's not true."

"Yes it is. Money doesn't buy you friends; in fact it keeps them away because they think you think you're better than them. Being the son of a killer who betrayed his best friend doesn't help either. They don't see me, they see him." I think back to the many days I've spent sitting in the school dining hall alone and the disapproving glances I sometimes get in town.

"I don't. I see Jed, and I think he's a pretty good guy." Stella smiles.

"Does that make us friends?" I ask, instantly regretting the question. How can we be friends when we're going into the arena?

"I guess it does." She grins, playfully punching my arm. "You can hardly go through what we have together and not be the least bit friendly."

"Jedrek Livingstone." I hear one of the trainers call out, it's my turn. Stella sees the nerves on my face.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine, just stay focussed." she says.

"Thanks, I'll try to. Good luck for when it's your turn." I say as I go through the door. As it closes behind me I think I hear her mutter "I'm gonna need it."

I don't look at the Game Makers but can feel every single one of their stares singe my skin as I enter the room. I go over to the fire station and carry the biggest pieces of wood I find into the centre of the room. A bring over an axe and start chopping them up the way I do at home. I hear a few murmurs of approval at the force at which I hit them, managing to break them with one blow. I keep my back to them as I get some string and arrange the wood into a little shelter leaning against the west wall. I kick it. My stomach turns as it shudders but it's soon replaced by relief when it doesn't collapse. For the first time I dare to look up at their box. I realise I've made a mistake: I've been working on it for too long, half of them have lost interest, finding the content of their wine glasses much more interesting. I panic for a second but then remember I've saved my best skill till last: swords.

I set up to the dummies in the sword station and then run at them, blade draw. I hit one in the stomach, another in the chest and slash the torso of a third. One by one they fall, each suffering a different fatal injury as I remember everything technique and kill spot I know. Within a minute there's only one left. I deliver one last burst of energy to its neck. The head flies clean off and hits the wall a few feet behind it. Panting I look to the Game Makers. They're all on the edge of their seats. There's silence as my adrenalin drains away.

"You are dismissed, Mr Livingstone." The Head Game Makers nods.

"Thank you." I wheeze, leaving the room for the last time.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 24: Stella

Every eye in the room looks into mine as I look up at the Game Maker's box, now I know how the tributes from District 12 felt. They seem fully focused on me despite being more than half way through the sessions. Whatever Jed showed them must have really woken them up; he'll be a hard act to follow.

I swallow my nerves as I walk to the sword station, positioning the dummies near the climbing frames and nets which cover the wall. Then I go to retrieve my wooden dagger from where I hid it under the wood in the fire station, luckily it hasn't be turned to ashes and is wait for me there. I grab a stone and sharpen it as I walk to the other side of the centre, letting the Game Makers know I was the one who made. When I reach the southern wall, I'm ready to begin the "action sequence" me and Torey created this morning. She said that my skills may be good but they'll look small compared to the serious weapon combat the Careers will demonstrate, the best way to show them all off is to put them all together into one sequence, to show them how these skills will be used in a real situation. But I can only practice one skill at a time, this will be the first time I've combined them.

I run towards the climbing station on the other side, gaining more and more speed by the second, turning left and right to dodge the stations. Within a minute I've run the 150m length of the centre and I reached my destination. I take a running jump up and grab hold of the net that's draped across one side of the wall. I stay there for a second, allowing myself to catch my breath before climbing up. In District 7 children can climb before they can write, so it only took one morning for me to get to grips with this unnatural climbing frame. Stopping 15 feet above the ground I break the rule of never looking down. Dizziness sweeps through my body as I check I'm in position. My target is right below me. Taking a deep breath I pull my dagger out of my belt and let go.

I scream as I fall through the air. But I don't have time to worry about it sounding more like a scream of fear than a battle cry as I collide with the dummy. He's broken my fall just as planned but instead of thanking him I sink my wood blade into his back, stuffing pours out of him like blood.

Adrenaline has managed to mask my nerves and common sense so far, but when I get up to complete the sequence they return. Knife throwing is the skill I'm least experienced with. If I miss they will forget everything else, even my death defying fall. I select my victim, another dummy. Take aim and throw. The knife pieces his stomach. It's not a fatal throw but a very serious one, one to be pleased with.

I turn to the Game Makers, they're all staring at me, but I'm too far away to see their expressions.

"You can go now, Miss Grimeshaw." The Head Game Maker says. I make myself bow to the people who'll be trying to kill me before going.

"That was quick! How long were you in there?" Jed asks, emerging from his room having only just changed, an astonished look on his face.

"About four minutes." I shrug, not wanting to think about the terrifying stunts I pulled off without a second thought.

"Wow! They did give you permission to leave right?"

"Yeah."

"Whatever you did must have really impressed them. Even the Careers were in there for about double that! What did you do?" He asks excitedly.

"I'll tell you at dinner." I say, more concerned with getting out of my sweaty clothes.

At dinner Torey and Cassia are gaging to hear how our private sessions went. Jed tells us the Game Makers got a bit bored with his shelter building. Cole just keeps his head down and eats, not looking either of us in the eye, which suited me just fine. I don't want to hear his apologies and excuses any way.

Jed tells us the Game Makers got a bit bored with his shelter building.

"But you did show them your sword skills didn't you?" Torey asks.

"I did after that. Hopefully that got their attention and they remember me enough to give me a decent score."

"You don't need to worry about that. They were still stunned when I walked in." I assure him, smiling at the memory of their beady little eyes wide with shock.

"Yes, I think you did a good job, Jed. By doing something seemly boring like build a shelter you lowered their expectations, that increased the their surprise of your sword skills." Torey says, sounding like an expert head doctor. She looks at Cole. "Don't you think, Cole?" She asks almost ordering him to speak.

"Oh, umm… yeah, sounds like it went well." He mumbles finally lifting his head, attempting a smile. The circles under his eyes are much darker than usual; it looks like Michie's drawn them on with her thick black eye liner. I hope it's due to guilt, I'm still furious about what he did, I can barely stay in the same room as him without screaming at him.

"How about you, Stella, how do you think yours went?" Torey asks, sensing my still fresh anger. Relived to have my thoughts taken away from him I tell them what happened.

"Sounds like it all went to plan." Torey almost smiles. "But we'll see just how well you both did when the scores are announced."

As we get up from the table Torey knocks over a glass. Her Avox rushes over with a cloth before the sound of the shattered glass reaches are ears.

"Oh, sorry." She says, bending down next him. The others only see her helping him pick up the glass but I'm closer and I can see her lean her head next to his hear. I hear only snippets over her words as I try my hardest to look like I'm not listening.

"Meet me…got something…be careful." He smiles. It a strained smile, an action he's not used to performing, but pure joy sparks in his eyes as he nods, making his little black curls bounce on his head. That spark is in Torey's eyes too as she straightens up. At the sight of Cassia looking at her as if she's insane, she's back to normal.

"Why did help…" Cassia begins, sounding as she's just seen her kick President Snow in the butt.

"I like to clean up my own messes." Torey says her voice razor sharp.

We all gather around the TV as the seal of Panem appears on the screen. The anticipation is almost unbearable as the training scores are revelled one by one. Fuchsia immediately sets the bar high with a eleven, I see Jed raise an eyebrow next to me and smile. I frown at him. Has he forgotten this girl this is the same girl who kicked him so hard he leg hurt for 5 hours?

As usual the Careers get high scores. Kayden matches Fuchsia's eleven, looking ruthless and arrogant even in his picture. The girl I sat with yesterday from District 3 gets a surprising score of 7. Torey sees my interest.

"Potential ally?"

"Maybe. I could pick much worse." I say, failing to stop myself from glancing at Jed, who gives me a "what?" look.

There's a sharp intake of breath as the girl from District 6's score is revealed. We're next. Jed bites his lip. His picture appears. A nine rests beneath it.

"YES!" he jumps up with half relief and half joy. Cole springs up from his seat and hugs him, before quickly pulling away, remembering they're not on hugging terms anymore. But Jed pulls him back.

"What's the point in staying angry? Especially when time is so short." Jed muffles into his shoulder. Part of me is angry at him for giving in, but I know I can't change his mind, after all he is his dad and his aunt wasn't killed because of him. Besides I have more important things to worry about, like my score.

It's like someone has pressed rewind on a tape as we sit back down. The suspense renewed. My face flashes up followed by a number I'm too nervous to read. I hear everyone gasp then cheers around me. Jed high fives my up palm.

"Hello, Earth to Stella! You beat me! You got a ten!" I stare at the screen in disbelief. There it is: 10, sitting proudly next to my picture! It's my turn to scream and jump around.

"Well done, both you! This is the first time Panem well see you as individuals and you've both shone!" Torey congratulates us, still failing to smile. "All that's left now is the interviews."


	24. Chapter 24

"Turning you into a half decent lady would take an entire year, not a morning! You eat with your mouth full, you belch freely, and can't walk straight to save your life! I'm sorry, but I have to give up before I have mental break down! I think Torey's in her room; you can begin working on your interview angle." Cassia shrieks like a deranged, red mouse. she's been attempting to teach me to be lady-like for the interviews tonight. But after only two hours of staggering around in high heels, sitting bolt upright, and eating and drinking with my pinkie in the air, (with hardly any success,) she'd lost it. She sees me smile as I kick off the horrible heel, relived it's all over. "You won't be smiling when you make a fool of yourself in front of the entire nation", she yells as I walk away.

When I reach Torey's room I hear her voice sneak through the door.  
>"Here it is; it's another Shakespeare. I know you like him, I can never understand what he's talking about though. It's called "Romeo and Juliet." Apparently it's one of his most famous, but I'd wouldn't know since I'm more of a H.G Wells and George Orwell person," I hear Torey say, sounding happy for once. It's the most I've ever hear her say. But there's no answer. "It doesn't matter where and how I get it. Now go before they realize you're gone." I have about thirty seconds to disappear down the corridor before the door opens, revealing her Avox looking around nervously before padding off it the other direction, failing to see me peering around the wall. His hands are crossed over his chest, as if he's got something underneath his uniform. I wait a few more seconds before knocking on her door.<br>"Come in." She calls, looking almost surprised to see me open the door. "Shouldn't you be with Cassia?"  
>"She said it'd take a lot longer than a morning to turn me into a lady, so I should use the morning to do something more productive like working on my interview," I say, shrugging.<br>"Well I guess that gives us plenty of time to come up with a strategy. Please take a seat." She motions towards a chair next to a desk stacked with books.  
>"Where did you get all those from?" I ask while I sit down. Many of the books have yellowed pages and cracked spines, revealing their age.<br>"I got many of them here as part of a . . . business deal. They're very rare, written long before Panem." She answers proudly. We've learned very little about the country Panem used to be so the titles mean nothing to me. "But we're not here to talk books." She sternly adds, returning to her old self. "What sort of angles were you thinking about?" She asks perching on the end of her bed, grey eyes fixed on me.

***

After testing out several different approaches (with Torey playing the part of an emotionless Caesar Fickerman) we made a decision. I'll be a combination of witty and feisty. Two traits that she claims I naturally have.  
>"Unless you're a very good actress, at least someone well see through your act, so you should keep it as close to your real personality as possible. But try to rein in the feistiness; you don't want to come across as aggressive," She advises. Thinking our session is over, I get up to leave.<br>"Wait, there's something else we should talk about." She says before I reach the door, I turn around. "I think you should talk to Cole."  
>"Why? I have nothing to say to him," I unintentionally snap, his very name making me seethe with anger.<br>"But he has a lot to say to you, he needs to explain what happened," She says, unfazed by my tone.  
>"There's nothing to explain," I retort.<br>"You're jumping to conclusions, Stella. You didn't see the whole picture. You can't let your link with Nina cloud your vision."  
>"I don't need to see the whole picture! I saw what I needed to see, he let her die! Even if it wasn't Nina he's still a coward who deserves to be seen as one!" I'm nearly shouting now.<br>"If cowardly acts should be treated like that than why didn't you react the same way when he reminded you I killed the Careers in their sleep? I'd think that's quite cowardly, but you never even mentioned it." She has me there.  
>"I . . . I don't know. I guess I never really thought about it. If I remember rightly it was just you, them and a couple of others, you didn't have much options left, and you never seemed like the type to do that without a very good reason." I murmur truthfully.<br>"Did the boy you saw in the Games up to that point seem like the type to do that?" She continues. I think back to how he fought the bear, faced his hallucinations and cradled May.  
>"No, not really."<br>"Then don't you think there must be a reasonable explanation as to way he did it?"  
>"Maybe." I shrug, thinking about it for the first time. I told Dad not to let anger blind him, is it blinding me now?<br>"Meet him on the roof after the interviews if you want one." She almost orders me.  
>"I'll think about it." I sigh.<p>

***

Michie's right, my interview outfit is much more my style. I'm wearing black leather shorts with dark blue tights, a paint splattered blouse with a denim jacket and what she calls biker boots on my feet.  
>"It's extremely unconventional, but that's just what I'm like." She says as she adds the finishing touches to my deliberately messy hair. "But I'm not just doing this to make a statement," She quickly adds.<br>"No, it's OK I'd rather be wearing this than some big old ball gown. I love it, any disapproving stares are well worth it" I grin at my reflection, twisting my chunky rings.  
>All the other girls are wearing pretty or glamorous dresses and the boys are in suits, just as I expected. Some give me dirty looks knowing my outfit will get a big reaction; others look at me as if I've come in my pyjamas but most don't look at me at all, too absorbed in their own nerves. This is the last time I'll see them before they become my rivals in the arena, when I'll have to kill them.<br>"Hi, Michie's mini me." Jed jokes, sliding into the seat next to me. He's wearing a suit too with the same paint splattered print on his tie, but he has a leather jacket on instead of a diner jacket.  
>"I would have to have the multi coloured hair to be her mini me." I laugh, despite my growing nerves and the painful thought that even he'll have to die if I am to live. I remember how happy he looked when I said we were friends. Had I said it because it's true or because the thought that all of the tributes are my enemies was too much for me to bear?<p>

Suddenly we can hear the crowd roar excitedly as Caesar Flickerman jumps onto the stage.  
>"Hello, everybody! The 68th Hunger Games are so close now you can almost smell it the air!" He exclaims, sniffing the air. "You smell that? That's the smell of battle, glory and survival. Ladies and gentleman that's the distinct sent of a victor and it's coming from somewhere over there." He points towards our seats, there's another massive cheer. "It's one of these 24 tributes. Let's meet them! First up is Fuchsia McQueen from District 1!"<br>Fuchsia takes to the stage in a very low cut sparkly gown, which was naturally fuchsia, her long blonde hair in big curls. She gleams at the camera as she sits down. She's charming and flirty but there's the slightest hint that someone sly and sinister lurks underneath.

"You must have some serious skills to get that enormous eleven!"  
>"Yeah I can shot and throw spears but I my best weapon is swords, Jeddie can confirm that." She giggles looking to him with a mischievous look in her eyes as there's a chorus of woos from crowd. Jed blushes. What's her game? She seems to be toying with him like a cat plays with a mouse before eating it but this mouse doesn't appear to be putting up much of a fight.<p>

Kayden makes his intentions very clear, sounding utterly ruthless.  
>"So your grandfather and your father are victors. . . "<br>"Yes. When I win I'll be the first third generation victor!"  
>"When you win? Someone's very sure of themselves."<br>"I am, I'll do whatever it takes to win, to continue the great Flint legacy!" He declares, his voice brimming with arrogance.

"So, Athena, you're from District 3. A district that has had a more logical approach to the Games, are you an exception?"  
>"No, Not at all. I'm not really the fighting type but I'm armed with a brain and I not afraid to use it." She says pushing her glasses up before continuing. "My experience of making stuff will hopefully pay off too. Oh, and please call me Attie."<br>"I'm sure it will, Attie." Caesar smiles. The rest of the interviews go by in a blur until I hear him shout out my name. I freeze hoping he's made a mistake, but when Jed nudges me I know I can't put it off any longer. It's my turn.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Cole

The entire crowd gasp in shock at Stella's outfit. The most unorthodox interview attire I have ever seen is an emerald jumpsuit. But this makes it that look like an elegant ball gown. Some of the audience cheer while others murmur disapprovingly. Michie smiles as she gets her close up in the stylists section. She looks a bit uneasy, realising that this rebellious move will be seen as either bold and brave or a slap in the face of tradition, depending on how the next three minutes play out. I wring my hands with anticipation.

"Wow! This is very different, Stella!" Caesar exclaims as she sits down.

"Well, I figured since the interviews are about showing everyone who you are you should wear something that's like you. I'm not exactly elegant or pretty but I'm different, like this outfit," she says, trying to sound confident but her words waver as she analyses each one, nervous they'll twist themselves into something else.

"Oh, how are you different?" Caesar asks, sounding intrigued. She thinks for a second.

"I never was into all that girly stuff, and I'm not afraid of getting dirty or playing dangerously, which I guess is a good thing for this." She smiles as the crowd laugh around me.

"That explains how you got that massive ten! What skills do you have?"

"I'm not going to lie; I can't handle swords or axes . . . not that that's much news." She says, gesturing to her small body, receiving another swarm of laughter from the crowd. "But I have quite a few little skills which I think more than make up for it."

"Such as . . . " Caesar prompts.

"You'll find out soon enough," She laughs, trying to sound fiece.

"Of course we will! Now, I'm afraid I can't let you go without answering a few questions on one of your mentors, Cole Livingstone . . ." We both tense up, dreading where this is going. "We all know that he's the father of your district partner. Is that a bit awkward?"

"Umm . . . no, not really. Jed hasn't been given any special treatment. He's helped us both equally while we were being mentored together," she answers frowning slightly, but not sounding at all angry or bitter like she has around me these last couple of days. But I don't blame her; I feel the same way about myself when I think about what I did.

"Why did you suddenly ask to be trained separately?" Caesar asks. I have to stop myself from jumping up and begging her not answer that question truthfully. If these people find out she's the niece of my long forgotten district partner it'll be all anyone will talk about, it'll be all anyone will think about, whenever the district 7 tributes are mentioned. She glances at me; I can tell she feels tempted to disgrace me in front of the entire nation, after all as far as she's concerned I deserve it. But then she turns to Jed who shakes his head, sensing what she's about to do.

"Well . . . since the private sessions and interviews are more individual we all thought it would be easier to mentor us separately." She says, shrugging, I hear Cassia make a little disapproving noise at this gesture next to me, I just breathe a sigh of relief.

"You're certainly an individual, Stella and I'm sure you'll be very interesting to watch!" Caesar declares as the buzzer goes off. "Ladies and gentleman, Stella Grimshaw!" He shouts, barely heard above the cheers of the crowd. It's one of the biggest reactions of the night. I clap with them, grinning at Torey who also applauds and gives her an approving nod as she looks her way. Caesar holds her hand up as the cheers escalate, she wears a smile that shows her relief it's all over.

But as she takes her seat with the other tributes, my happiness for her freezes and churns into nerves. How can Jed possibly follow that? We struggled to come with an interview angle for him. When we tried fierce he was too nice, when we tried funny his jokes were half-baked, and the Games have been going on too long for him to get away with clichés like "I'll fight to win." In the end, we went for humble yet strong, the only one he could do to any avail.

"Now, this time exactly 24 years ago his father was sitting in that chair!" Caesar points to the chair next to him. A camera swivels round to meet my face; I smile nervously down the lens before waving it back to the stage. "Now he's going to literally follow in his footsteps. Please welcome Jedrek Livingstone!" There's a massive uproar as Jed shuffles onto the stage, this is one of the tributes they've all been waiting for, the boy with his father as a mentor. The anxious look in his eyes matches the one he had when Erin and I dropped him off for his day at school. But this time he can't cling onto her skirts and scream that he wants to go home, he has to swallow his nerves and smile for the camera.

"Looks like Stella isn't the only fashion rebel tonight," Caesar remarks as he sits down, pointing out his leather jacket.

"Yeah, it makes a nice change to the dinner jacket, but I'm not as bold as her. She really pulled it off, didn't she?" He asks the crowd, hoping their yells of agreement will build his confidence. He always hated being the centre of attention.

"She certainly did. But enough about her, we want to hear about you!" Caesar laughs. "What did Fuchsia mean about you being able to confirm her sword skills, Jeddie?" He says, raising an eyebrow with a mischievous grin.

"Oh, nothing I just saw her train at the sword station. And please call me Jed." He squirms in his seat.

"Hmm, are you sure you merely observed her talents?" Caesar's eyebrow goes up even more.

"Yes!" He almost snaps, silently pleading for a change of subject as his cheeks redden.

"Okay, we'll take your word for it." Caesar winks at the crowd. I hear Cashmere cackle with pleasure at Jed's discomfort. I glare at her; she wasn't kidding when she said she would make life difficult for us. "So, is it true you got no special treatment?"

"Absolutely. I admit I've had a better start than most people, and I'll always be very grateful for that, but it doesn't make me better than anyone else and I'll never use it as an advantage," he says instantly with a rehashed answer. But he means every word and you can see that.

"No of course it doesn't! However having your own father mentor you must have its perks."

"Well, he already knew some of my skills, which I guessed saved me telling him them." He gives a little smile as the audience laugh.

"They must be pretty good skills to get you a nine, still not as good as your old man though!" The audience are in hysterics as the camera turns to me again. This time I just tell them to focus on him, not wanting a single second of his time to be wasted.

"I'm only one point short and remember he was a year older me at the time," Jed giggles.

"Ah yes, age makes all the difference. I bet old Mags from District 4 will get a twelve easily now!" Caesar jokes, adding to their laughter. "How much are you like your father?" Jed has to think about this one, as do I.

"People say I look a lot like he did at my age . . ."

"Oh you do! When you came up here I thought I'd travelled back time!"

"Yes. I've also been told that I act like him too," my son continues, his fingers fidgeting like mine do when I'm struggling to think of something to say. "But I'm not him, I'm me. Some people fail to see that." His voice has an edge of bitterness to it, remembering all the times he's been pushed into my shadow. Anger flares within me. Even now his interview has been mainly about me, or that meddling Fuchsia. There's been hardly anything about him and him alone!

"Couldn't have said it better myself. I'm sure we'll all see that in the Games. What's your strategy?"

"Well . . . my strategy is try to survive. If that means I have to kill I'll do it, but only if I have to. I just hope that whatever happens I'll be brave and make Mum and Dad proud," He says, staring straight into the camera, just as I did when I swore I'd die protecting Nina. I feel a small lump form in my throat at his words as the buzzer goes off. "You most certainly will, ladies and Gentlemen, Jedrek Livingstone!" The camera flashes make his dark green eyes sparkle, like his mothers in the early morning sun. He finds me in the crowd and we exchange an elated smile. They're not chanting my name, they're chanting his. This is his moment, the first time he's stood alone. I'm so happy for him but I can't help but feel a tug in my chest as I realise he's not child anymore, he's going into the arena a young, honourable man.

He doesn't need to worry about making me proud because he already has.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 27: Cole

A small gust of wind carries the noise of the street parties onto the roof. The lights of the city glow like billions of fireflies below. On another occasion I would have found this scene beautiful but tonight I find it sicking because they're celebrating the end of their wait for the slaughter of the Games. Tomorrow they'll be thirsty for blood and plenty of it will come. I shudder at thought that some of it could be Jed's or Stella's. Where are they? I wonder.

Torey told me to go to the roof to explain what happened that day on the ice, I've been standing here for at least two hours and neither of them has shown up.

I'm about to turn around and try to attempt the impossible task of getting some sleep when I hear footsteps. They walk around behind me as if teasing me before coming to towards me.

I turn around to see Jed standing behind me looking at the brightly coloured flowers which populate the roof. He runs his finger along a vine, a wistful look in his eyes. The leave rustle in the light breeze, sounding like they're whispering to each other, talking about the two strangers who stand before them.

"I didn't know they had all these plants up here, it kind of reminds me of ..."

"Home", I finish his sentence for him. The foliage here is nothing like those found in District Seven but in a city of metal and stone anything green transports you the forest.

"I wish I was there now. I wish Mum was here, she always knows what to say." He sighs gazing into the night, his voice full of longing.

"I know I miss her too, more than I ever thought I could miss anyone." I say sadly, her warm; smiling face so clear in my mind I could kiss it. I thought being away from her would get easier; instead it just got harder, especially after I had someone even more precious waiting for me. But this time he came with me and there's only a 1 in 24 chance we'll both come back. I look at him standing beside me, his eyes so like his mother's, framed in a face very much like mine.

"You've inherited the best of her you know. You have her kindness and easy smile, among other things."

"Really?"

"Really." He's about to say something else when we hear someone more rustling. Stella pushes her way through the slightly over grown vegetation as she makes her way over to us, her bare feet making hardly any sound on the cold stone.

"Oh, am I interrupting something?" Stella asks when she reaches us.

"No, we were just talking." I answer; scared the slightest excuse not to listen to me will send her away.

"Ah well I couldn't sleep. I've been thinking, about what Torey said and she's right, you wouldn't do that without a reason. So here's your chance to explain." Even in her little white nightie she has the bluntness and authority of a full grown man. I should be irritated that she cut us off like that, but I'm just glad she's given me this chance. I want her to trust me, even though she's not my responsibility any more I feel like I owe her something. I've been given a chance to get my promise right.

"Okay." I take a deep breath digging into my mind for that memory of her dangling over the abyss. I don't have to go very deep to find it; it's been hunting my sleep for years. "She told me to let go."

"What?" I ignore her and continue. I pull myself back to that icy ledge where my hand is the only thing stopping Nina from falling to her death. _Her blue eyes stare into mine, they're afraid. But as the ice begins to crack they harden as she accepts what must happen._

"She said: _Let me go! The ice can't hold both of us! Either one of us dies or we both die!_" I quote her perfectly.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Stella asks sounding sceptical.

"We did see them talking, but we didn't hear what was said." Jed pointed out, deep in thought.

"Exactly, and you'll get your proof in minute, Stella." I say quite hastily, not wanting be in that memory any longer than I have to. "I said I'd sworn I'd die trying to save her and that's exactly what I'll do." I was so scared when those words came out of my mouth in a cloud of smoke that day, but I'm certain I would have followed them through. "But she wouldn't have it, saying I had to go back to Erin and my family. I had to win. She couldn't let me die."

They stare at me intently, willing me to go on. "That when the ice beneath me began to give up. She let go but I grabbed hold of her wrist. I knew it was fruitless but I couldn't give up, I couldn't let the Capital take her without a fight. I'll never forget the look she gave me then as she yelled _I'm so sorry, Cole. Tell Ethan and Mum and Dad I love them and I really tried._"

Stella gives out a little whimper as she guesses these were her aunt's last words."Then her other had reached up, holding her knife. She cut my hand. I don't know if it was the shock or pain but I let go. I still can't remember scrambling onto the land but I'll always remember watching the hovercraft retrieve her broken body when she finally hit the floor." I struggle to hold back the tears as I finish telling my tale. Jed puts a reassuring arm around me.

"There was nothing you could do." He whispers. After a few moments I manage to compose myself enough to hold out my palm to Stella, revealing the small, white scar that runs across it.

"I guess they didn't erase it so I'd never forget that it was me who led her onto that bridge, to her death." Not that I ever needed reminding.

"But why didn't Dad see it, surly he'd put two and two together? Didn't you explain what happened when you got out?" Stella asks. She's still frowning slightly but her scepticism has gone.

"I said something they didn't like when after she fell. They broadcast there's a fifteen second delay between the Arena and your TV, so they had plenty of time to cut back to somewhere else. By the time they went back to me my hand was bandaged up and people quickly lose track of injuries so they didn't question it.

The night of my victory interview President Snow told me that what I said was enough to have Erin killed…" I pause, just thinking about the way he hissed "killed" sends shivers through me, Jed gasps, the very thought filling him with terror. "But he was willing to make deal: Erin would be spared if I told the nation I'd let her go because I was blinded by fear. That's my punishment, to be seen as a cowardly killer." Jed looks shocked and angry.

"You don't deserve this, you were never coward. You were a hero willing to sacrifice everything!" He yells.

"I would rather be a coward than lose someone else I cared for." I say truthfully, Erin has always been worth it. I turn to Stella whose frown has disappeared completely.

"I'm not asking you to forgive me or even believe me. I'm just asking you to understand."

"I do and I'm sorry for the way I acted." She says, it's the first time I've heard her sound so sincere.

"It's Okay; I would have done the same." I sigh. "You should both go back to your rooms, get some sleep. God knows you're going to need it. I'll see you in the morning." They nod. Jed hugs me.

"I'm so sorry I never told you." I murmur into his shoulder.

"It doesn't matter I know now." He answers as he pulls away. Then they go, leaving me with the stars and my question of what on Earth I'm going to do tomorrow.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Jed

_I lie face down on the ice cold ground, my blood seeping out around me, dying it red. I try to move, but I'm completely frozen. I'm too numb to feel any pain, but I can feel my life slowing slipping away. I try to scream for help but I can't even open my mouth. My attacker's footsteps make a crunching noise in the snow as they walk towards me. When they stop the sound is replaced by their evil laughter. I can feel is mounting fear as I wonder what they're going to do to me now._

_"Not so noble now, eh, District 7?" I hear Kayden ask mockingly as he presses his boot into my back. This action is followed the sound of a sword being drawn._

_"Aw, poor Jeddie." Fuchsia's voice purrs. "You never stood a chance against us, did you?" She cackles as a pair of strong hands roll me over._

_The two of them look at me with menacing gazes, sadistic smiles on their faces. I don't know why but I cannot help but feel betrayed when I stare back at Fuchsia, her beautiful light blue gleaming with sinister glee._

"_Oh, what's wrong, Jeddie? Did you really think a little dual in training would change anything? I'm a Career, a predator and you weak Districts are my pray." She rests the tip of her sword on my throat as she says this._

_"Care to do the honours?" Kayden asks, his foot now pressing down on my chest._

"_With pleasure. It's too bad your Daddy can't be here, Jeddie, but we'll give him a good show." They laugh hysterically as she holds up the sword before stabbing it into my neck._

My eyes snap open as it hits me. I release a scream that pierces my ears, seeming to rattle the room. Cold sweat drips from my nose. I'm not in the Arena anymore; I'm back in my Capital room. Dad bursts through the door. He sees my confused and shocked face and hugs me.

"It's alright, Jed, it's just a nightmare." Dad tries to sooth me but his words tremble.

"Yeah but it could soon be real." I answer, voicing what we both know but don't want to say.

"I know. But you're not alone; I'll be watching over you, and I'll do everything I can to bring you home, I swear." His chokes on the last words as he struggles to hold back the tears. I'm relieved he's here and not hundreds of miles away at home. I need him now more than I ever have.

Over what could be our last meal, we all go over our strategy for today.

"So to recap. Grab a backpack, run and find water. Nothing else there is worth risking your life for, not even a sword." Dad looks at me sternly. Stella and I nod. Usually she eats as if she's never seen food before but today she eats slowly, savouring what could be her last taste of Capital food. Despite claiming not have an appetite, she goes through three pancakes, a bowl of strawberries and cream and two oranges. My nerves have tied my stomach into knots, I can only mange an apple and half a bowl of porridge before I feel full.

After breakfast we're taken onto the roof, waiting for the hovercraft. We all look up at the sky dreading its arrival. Cassia tries to be positive.

"Well this is it. Good luck Stella and Jed and as they always say may the odds be ever in your-your favour." She sniffs before rushing back to the elevator, not wanting anyone to see her make up smudge.

"Remember everything you've done, those training scores you got. Neither of you are helpless, you can make it. We all know you'll make it." Torey attempts to assure us, but even she sounds sad. "The best of luck to both you." She shakes our hands firmly, the closest thing you'll ever get to a hug from her.

Tears well in Dad's eyes as we release this could be the last time we ever see each other.

"I love you, son! I always will no matter what." He tells me softly as he pulls me into a tight embrace. "You're the best to ever happen to me, if you don't make it. . . " He trails off not even wanting to consider it.

"I love you too, Dad. Thank you for everything you've ever done for me. If I don't come back look after Mum and tell her I love her. It's not your fault this happened, please remember that." I say, my voice wobbling. He turns to Stella who stands awkwardly beside me.

"I'll do everything in my power to help you. To help you both, I promise." He says, barly able to speak as he uses all his power to hold back the tears.

"I know you will." She says, not sounding entirely sure.

He doesn't pull away until the hovercraft lands silently. We all say our last hurried goodbyes as the ladder goes down. The last thing I remember before being frozen into place on it is my father's hazel eyes looking into mine with so much love and sadness it feels like I've been stabbed through the heart.

When we're safely inside I allow myself to release on single tear.

"How are you feeling? Oh, right stupid question." Marvin says awkwardly as we enter the Launch Room.

"Nervous." I answer quietly.

"Of course you are, you'd be mad not to." he says giving me a little smile, although I'm not sure if he means it or is just being nice.

I put on the clothes we'll all be wearing in the Arena which lies just above our heads, waiting to kill us. Olive green combat pants, black boots, a grey sleeveless t-shirt and a black jacket with a hood.

"The jacket has special holes in it which let out heat, so it's going to be hot," Marvin states. My stomach turns at the thought of going into a desert waste land. "Oh, here's your District token." He hands me the bracelet Mum made out of tree fibre. I stare at it sadly before putting it on, remembering when she gave it to at the Justice Building. It already feels like a lifetime ago.

"I know a Capital person is probably the last person you want to see before going into the Games and we've only known each other a few days, but you're the best tribute I've ever met. I'll be routing for you." He pats me on the back.

"Thanks." I smile despite everything.

"Launch in 60 seconds. Launch in 60 seconds!" A voice booms. Suddenly I'm shaking, my breathing quickens and adrenaline builds in my veins as pure fear takes over my body.

"Breath, Jed. Just focus on breathing." Marvin says firmly as he gently nudges me towards the pod that'll take me up in a few seconds. Once I'm in that's all I do. I close my eyes and take one long, shaky breath after another. In, out, in, out, in . . .

The metal disk slides up taking me with it. My eyes fly open, though I'm surrounded my darkness. Soon enough, I'm greeted by blinding sunlight as I'm pushed through the ground and into hell.

The first thing I see the golden Cornucopia, glinting in the sunlight, packed with everything you'll ever need to survive here, wherever here is. Various items are scattered around it, including six backpacks. It looks like it's in the middle of a giant muddy puddle, trees with half their roots above ground corner us on all sides. The humidity and stench confirm we're in a swamp. But the trees are bigger further away, towering many meters above the earth. The distant bird calls promise us these are part of a different environment beyond.

Claudius Templesmith's booming voice almost makes me jump of the pad as he announces:

"Ladies and Gentleman! Let the 68th Annual Hunger Games begin!"


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Stella

The first thing that hits me is the humidity, the air is so thick it feels like it's pressing down on me. Next is the smell of filthy water and decay. But the sound of croaking frogs and buzzing flies fills this place with life. The little trees roots reach down into the green, muddy water which will soon have red running through it.

So here we are, in the place we've prepared weeks for: the Arena. We've had six days to come to turns with our situation, but it still doesn't feel real. Even the Careers have a flicker of fear in their eyes as the sixty second countdown begins. Just sixty seconds; that's all that remains until the blood shed begins. The Capital will be watching eagerly as we entertain them with our deaths. But for every cheer, somewhere, there will be a life lost.

I have to block out the image of my father looking at the dusty TV screen in the shop, along with Tia and Brendon trying to comfort him as he witness a loved one battle for their life once again. I push the fear clouding my mind to one side and focus on the Cornucopia, even from where I stand I can see it's packed full of everything from swords to sleeping bags. But there are also a few things scattered around it.

One of these items is a backpack; it's only about fifteen feet away. With my speed, I could reach it in seconds and put the blood bath completely out of sight in two minutes. An insect buzz's in front of my face, intending to distract me. I swat it away and cannot help but watch its zigzagging path as it flies past Jed. Jed!

I can't leave him, I hear myself think. We've never said we'd be allies in the Games, so technically this boy is nothing to me. I could run away and never look back, and most people wouldn't think the worst of me. I remember Cole's tears this morning and how he vowed he'd help both of us. If I left him here I doubt he'd keep that promise and even if he does how could I take a sponsor without feeling guilty? We also said we were friends, that truly meant something to him and it must have meant something to me too otherwise I wouldn't even be looking at him right now.

He sees me staring. Precious seconds rush between us, we have to use them to think of something. I nod to the back pack and point to me, praying nobody else is looking. Then I motion towards him and in the direction I plan to run. He nods nervously, understanding my message: I'll get the back pack; you run that way and I'll follow.

"Ten, nine, eight . . ." Less than ten seconds until we're running for our lives. I take a deep breath and get ready, poised to run, shutting everything out except me and my target.

"Four, three, two, one!" The gong vibrates across the Arena as I jump off the pad. Mud and water sprays out as I dash to the pack. I'm the first off. By the time I reach my destination, there is a cluster of tributes heading my way. The battle has officially begun!

The next few moments are a blur as I swing it onto my shoulder and take off sprinting. Then the first scream pierces the air somewhere behind me.

As I dash for the forest, I make the mistake of angling my head back towards the scream and watch as the girl from 12 crumples to the ground. Her is blood dripping from Kayden's axe. This horrific image allows me legs to move faster, propelling me into the shelter of the trees. I race through the swamp for a while, over soft ground and many debris. Once deep enough in the swamp, I lean back to catch my breath, slowly taking in my surroundings. Soon, I realize there is something missing: Jed is not with me.

I force myself to turn back towards the bloody scene once again. I head back, and when I reach the scene, for a moment all that meets my gaze, is the bodies. Some striking others, some fleeing and a few that just lie there, their souls gone. Then I see him, being pinned to the ground by the gigantic boy from 10. The boy holds a knife above his neck. As he brings it down, Jed grabs it, trying to push it away from him. The weapon remains in mid-air, clasped by two pairs of hands fighting for control of it. But it's clear who going to win. If I don't do something in the next few moments, Jed will be dead.

Hurriedly, I glance around my surroundings, searching for something, anything, that can help him. I lower my gaze up, and around, then finally towards the ground, and my gaze lands on a round object lodged in the soil; a stone. Yes, a stone! I lean down and grasp it, coiling my fingers across the smooth surface and aim for the monstrous boy's head . . .

I can hear the impact from where I stand. It was heavier than it looked, and has the desired effect. The boy from 10 falls to one side temporally stunned. Jed pulls the knife from his grip and looks desperately in the direction the rock came from.

"COME ON!" I yell, waving. I realise this is a bad move the moment the words leave my mouth. Jed spots me but so do Kayden and the boy from District 1.

"AFTER THEM!" They chorus, grinning menacingly as they run after him as he follows my fleeing figure.

They chase us through the bog, carrying an axe and sword. We only have a knife; all we can do is hope to out run them. The screams and clashes of metal fade away as the pounding of their footfalls behind us grow louder and louder.

We jump over a root without thinking about it. But they're too caught up in the hunt to watch where they're going. A second later there are two huge splashes. Seizing the precious seconds this gives us Jed grabs my arm and pulls me into some shrubs. We lie there not even daring to breathe. They're feet run straight past us.

"Where are they?" Kayden yells angrily as they come to a sudden stop, releasing we're nowhere to be seen.

"I don't know, they must have out run us!" The District 1 boy snaps.

Kayden's jaw clenches in frustration as he stops to think for a moment, meeting eyes with the boy from 1. "The others will still be at the Cornucopia, so we should head back. I can't believe we let those District 7 morons distract us from the action! This is your fault, Chase! You just want to kill that girl because she showed you up in training!" Kayden fumes.

"Hey, you're the one whose hell bent on getting the victor's son!" Chase argues as their voices trail away from us, making their way back.

It's another three minutes before we think it's safe to come out of our hiding place. But we're not really safe; there's no such thing as safe in the Hunger Games.

We keep running away for about an hour until we allow ourselves to collapse against a tree. The only sounds now are the buzzing of the insects, splashing of water and our heavy breathing.

"I guess this means we're allies then," Jed pants, smiling wearily. It's the first thing he's said since we were delivered into this nightmare.

"Well duh, I saved your sorry butt from 10!" I surprise myself by laughing, but the laugh hurts my rusty throat. I could really do with a drink.

"Yeah, you did! But you got those goons attention!" He tries to be mad at me but he can't stop grinning with pure relief that he's still breathing.

"I know, that was pretty stupid." I shake my head at my actions. "Why do think you're Kayden's prime target?"

He shrugs. "Beats me. Maybe he thinks I'm threat because I got nine."

The sound of a canon firing blows apart our thoughts. It fires six more times before the sound of the swamp is all that can be heard again.

"Seven gone," I say becoming, serious.

"That leaves 17, including us. That's a lot, usually about half die at the bloodbath." Jed frowns.

"I guess it's because two of the Careers were chasing us. Now the Careers have ended their killing spree they'll be setting up camp. That gives us a few hours to find a good tree."

"Let's get moving then; we can hunt for a river while we're at it. This water's far too dirty to even consider drinking but it had to came from some were fairly clean," Jed says, walking on.

It takes another six hours or so to find a tree that's big enough to support our weight. We still to find the river or sea that supplied this place with water. Once we're up there, I open the back pack to see what we've won from the Cornucopia.

"Right, we've got two packs of beef jerky, an apple, two packets of dried fruit, a little box of matches, some rope, some wire, a blanket, a bottle of iodine and an empty water bottle. It's not much for the two of us it's better than nothing and I can make some weapons." I say as a rummage through the bag.

"I guess so . . . hey look at that!" Jed points to the distance at a big grey rectangle that towers above the tall trees beyond.

"I think it's some kind of building." I say, squinting at it. "Wonder what's inside."

"Knowing the Game Makers, it's probably bad," He muses.

We have two slices of apple and three strips of jerky as we survey the rest of our surroundings. The swamp continues for another seven or eight kilometres before the taller trees take over, judging by the humid climate we decide it's most likely to be rainforest, a place that's teaming with food and water. Tomorrow we'll trek through the bog and hopefully reach it by sun down.

As the Sun sets our nation's anthem is played across the Arena. The Capital seal appears in the sky followed by the faces of those who died.

The first face to show up is the girl from 5, which means all the Careers are alive, no doubt getting ready to hunt right now, this thought, sends a shiver down my spine. But this also means Attie the District 3 girl I made snares with is alive too, I feel strangely comforted by this. The boy from 5 is next, followed by the boy from 6, the girl from 9, girl from 10 and both from 12, their controversial costumes being all for nothing. So the stone didn't keep the giant from 10 down for long.

"I could have so easily been up there today. You saved my life, Stella. Why?" Jed says quietly, turning to me in the rapidly growing dark.

"We're friends, and friends don't leave each other to die," I reply instantly, he smiles at this and closes his eyes, fatigue claiming him. I sigh, knowing this friendship can't last forever.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 30: Cole

The big screen in front of me begins to blur as my eyes drop. I force them open, I have to stay focussed it's only 7pm, 5 more hours until the switch over.

Mentors watch the cameras covering their tributes in 12 hour shifts, I take 12am to 12pm and Torey takes 12am to 12pm. We can have to 6 15 minute breaks each, since arriving here I've had none, the terror of seeing Jed nearly have his life taken away and their narrow escape from the Careers have kept has kept me awake. I have to stay in this room, if anything were to happen while I'm gone...

Donk! My sleepy head hits the monitor, the sudden pain jolting me awake. I fell asleep? How could I let myself fall asleep? Actually no, how could I force my mind to work like this? I glance at my watch: 9pm, I been out for two hours. I look at the screen, the scene is pretty much the same: Jed is sleeping in the tree and Stella is sitting on a branch above him, sharpening a smaller branch into a point with knife. She looks around every couple of minutes, checking for anything unusual. Comforted that at least one us is alert I finally tear myself away from the little District 7 Control Room and head to the Break Spot where the mentors eat, drink and talk to each other and sponsors who want to speak to them personally.

The steam from the fresh coffee drifts into my nose, making my senses stir. I take one the cups from the marble counter and sink back into one of the throne like chairs that sit in small groups around the room. A man lays slumped in another one a few yards away. He snores loudly, clutching an empty shot glass in his left hand, which has become as much a part of his appearance as his olive skin and black hair, everyone knows of Haymitch Abernathy's drinking. It's drained him of any youth he has left, making it hard to believe he's six years younger than me and not six years older. I decide it'll be best to leave him, I've seen someone wake him before and he caused a massive scene, not that that'll be much of a problem now. A part from the odd Avox laying out food and drink on the tables the place is deserted, which isn't very surprising. Normally the place will be crawling with Capital people, talking to the escorts about sponsoring a tribute or just looking for some behind the scenes gossip. But tonight is the night of the second Sponsor Banquet where all the sponsors and escorts will gather as they did the night of the first day of training. Still, I just want to recharge and get back to the Control Room with no distractions.

Just as I'm draining the cup of its last drop when a young girl with golden blonde curls walks in. Not noticing me she collapses into one of the chairs on the other side of the room and buries her face in her hands. I recognise her but I can't remember from where, I search the gradually clearing fog of my mind to find an image of her with a crown of golden leaves on her head, smiling prettily, but her eyes hold a unique sadness that only a victor knows. Of course: she's Serenity Solomon, the victor of last year's Games! This must be her first year mentoring.

At 15 she's District 9's youngest victor so far, she mastered poisons in training and covered tributes food with them while they were asleep. It was a far from honourable tactic but it worked. She may have seemed sweet, looking younger than her years with her freckles and childish smile but underneath it all was someone who was ruthlessly resourceful and cunning.

Although she doesn't look it now, with her shoulders shaking as she cries quietly into her hands. I should be going, have to return to the Control Room but this picture of her holds me back. She's 16 now the same age as Jed, responsible for the life of another despite only just being to put the pieces of the life they once had back together. I feel a jab of concern for her, even though she's a complete stranger I find myself working over to her. It not until I'm standing over her when she notices me.

"Hello, you're Serenity, aren't you? I'm Cole." I say softly, still unsure as to why this is happening.

"Yes, that's me, and I know who are." She lifts her head up, revealing her misty green eyes which attempt to look at me defensively despite the tear rolling down her cheek.

"The first year is always the hardest. It's like you're there again and the images are still fresh from your mind from last year." I say taking the seat next to her, recalling my first time, the tributes that year both getting slaughtered in the blood bath. She stares at me, unsure of what to make of my revelation.

"Yeah…it's a lot harder than people think. They look to you like you're some sort of expert teacher. But I don't know anything! How am I supposed to know how to play this side of the game?" She says sadly to the far wall, as if she's talking to herself. She then she shakes her head, trying to clear it.

"Why are talking to me?" I ask myself the same question, why would I try to comfort a crying girl but leave a broken man in a drunken sleep? Maybe it's because this could be Jed or Stella next year.

"Because I feel the same, I feel useless but at the same time I know they're counting on me and I can help them. When they die you think you've let down." Serenity turns to me again but this time the defence in her eyes is gone.

"Seeing Lilly, the tribute I mentored, die, I thought I was back in the Arena again, but I've seen so much death; I could keep it together. But just now the Careers where talking about the blood bath and her killer was bragging about murdering her. Said the look on her face was priceless, they laughed, and I guess I just snapped" fresh tears well in her eyes.

"They're Careers, they have to appear tough and unfeeling, it's how they've been taught to act, and they would have said that about anyone." I say handing her a coffee from the table next me.

"Thank you." She manages a weak version of her signature smile as she takes it. "I should get back, bye." She goes as quickly as she came.

Suddenly there's the sound of a glass breaking on the other side of the room. The remains of Haymitch's shot glass lay strewn across the floor.

"W-what was that?" He slurs sleepily.

"You dropped your glass." I tell him.

"Oh, better get another then." He gets up swaying slightly before staggering to the drinks table a few feet to his right. Even in this state he pours the whiskey without spilling a single drop.

"I think you've had enough already." I say firmly as I walk over, afraid he'll hurt himself after seeing him stagger around broken glass.

"Who are you, my mother?" He slurs irritably, taking a big gulp.

"Shouldn't you be on the train back to District 12 by now?" I don't mean to sound so blunt but now I think about he should have left hours ago. When a Districts out of the Games their mentors go home since they're no longer needed. He laughs loudly.

"I can enjoy one last night of good drink, can't I? After all it's not like I need my wits anymore, but not even that could help them. They could barely hold a bottle, let alone an axe. They were dead the day they walked onto that stage. Just like the rest of them." He says it like it's obvious all tributes from 12 are destined to die.

"How can you say that? You were supposed to help them, support them no matter what!" I nearly yell shocked at his lack of caring, even if he is drunk. He just laughs again.

"Here's some advice: don't get attached. It'll only make losing them worse. After a while they'll just become a blur of faces and names. They're only special to those who know them, so they'll just be yet another poor soul you're stuck with for a while." His voice is edged with the bitterness and agony of seeing child after child die, each and every one once looking to him for help. I don't know who I feel more sorry for: the drunk forced to pull himself together every year with the promise of redemption by mentoring a victor, only to see it shatter and to find himself in only the company of a bottle one more. Or the poverty stricken tributes whose only chance of survival is too drunk to see straight.

"I can't do that." I murmur darkly.

"Oh yes. You're Cole Livingstone, the mentor of your son and the niece of the girl you let go. Do you feel guilty about that? Is that they're paired up in the Arena, you feel like you owe her father that promise and keeping his daughter alive will make it all better but you can't chose her over your own son?" He sees the utter shock on my face, it's like he's seen right through me. "They can't stay together forever. Sooner or later you'll have to decide which one matter more: your son or the ghost of the girl you were supposed to protect."

His words echo in my head as I walk back into the Monitor Room. I scroll through the "items" sponsors have "sent" us on a touch screen computer the desk. Cassia has really out done herself at the banquet, at least eight more items have appeared on the list since I last checked it this afternoon, including water, something they really need. I have to resist the urge to press "send", there only about half a kilometre away from the river, they'll find it by midday; the water can be saved for a more urgent time. With Jed keeping watch in the tree and with no mutant or career insight I'm left with the question of what I will do when their alliance is over. If I did have to choose between them I would pick my son in a heartbeat, so why do I feel so torn?


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 31: Jed

A big orange Sun appears on the horizon, slowly spreading its light across the Arena. A few days ago I watched from the glass carriage of the tribute train, wondering the same thing I am now: _how many more Sun rises will I get see?_ The distant bird song coming from the rainforest tells me it's time to move.

I climb up to the branch above me where Stella is still asleep. Her light brown hair has fizzed up a bit with the heat, making her look younger. But the two wooden knives she's carved in night destroy any first impressions that this is a poor innocent child, she's a tribute.

"Stella. Stella, it's dawn, we've got to get going before the Careers wake up." I gently nudge her. She stirs and groans. For a moment her eyes are filled with shock as she takes in the alien surrounds, sleep erasing her memory of where she is. Then they settle into her usual determined expression.

"Right. Lets find some water while we're at, I'm dead thirsty." She croaks, rubbing her bone dry throat.

"Me too. I think we must be close otherwise Dad or Torey would have sent some by now." I say matter of factly, having every confidence in my father.

The Sun is high in the sky now and there's still no sign of a river. In the last hour we've really began to slow down, the thirst spreading to the rest of our bodies. The muddy, undrinkable water beneath my feet is looking more and more inviting with every step. Stella stops ahead of me leaning against a tree, swaying.

"It's so hot." She murmurs as she swats another fly away from her face. I'm starting to sway too, I try to answer but it's like my tongue has dried and stuck to my mouth. Then I see it.

Just beyond some willows I can see a small stretch of water. Not the brown water we've been trekking through, real blue-grey water. It's the river we've been searching for!

I grab Stella's hand and nearly run towards it, the relief of finding it over coming my exhaustion. When we break through the trees she rushes forward, pulling off the backpack and jumping in, filling our water bottle and adding a drop of Iodine. Waiting 20 minutes for it to clean the water will be complete agony. She grins at me, soaked up her calves.

"Come on in, the waters great!" She waves. I know we shouldn't be standing in the water we're going to be drinking from but the invitation is for too tempting.

I'm just about to step into the river when Stella's smile is replaced with a look of confused horror. The water's now up to knees even though she hasn't moved an inch. Now it's lapping its way up her legs. She tries to wade back to shore but she remains stuck in place.

"I'm sinking! The riverbed is quicksand!" She screams. Of course, it's the perfect trap; make the tributes thirsty, when they're presented with a river they'll rush in without a second thought. Oh the irony of having someone dying of thirst drown! The Game makers must be very pleased with themselves.

"Hang on!" I yell as I run to one of the willows and quickly saw off a branch with my knife. I hold it out to her disappearing form. She grabs hold and we pull as hard as we can. But the quicksand's grip is too strong. The waters clawing at her waist. In a couple of minutes she'll be under. Sweat shines my brow and muscles burn. But I'm not leaving the girl who saved my life. My only friend.

Suddenly I'm thrown back as the force that was pulling her under disappears as if someone has flicked a switch and turned it off, which they probably have. Why? Do the Game makers have other plans for us?

"Phew, that was a close one." Stella pants as she joins my, failing to cover the small tremor in her voice. Her trousers are caked in mud and her black jacket soaked, but she still clutches the bottle in her hand. Despite the life and death situation we were just in I laugh.

"You were in quicksand but still managed to hold on the bottle?"

"Yeah, after I went through to get the water I wasn't gonna let it go." She giggles.

We've been walking along the bank for several hours now. We can see the tall trees of the rainforest are on the other side but there doesn't seem to be any way across, expect to swim, something neither of us do very well. My stomach growls for the third time today, with my thirst quenched I've realised how hungry I am.

"Can't I at least have some more of that apple, Stella?" I ask.

"No. Our food has to rationed until we find some more. Trust me I'm as hungry as you, but this is called the Hunger Games for a reason. There should be some food in the rainforest. It can't be much further." She answers firmly.

About a couple of hours later the first of the towering trees comes into view. The environment changes so drastically you can stand between a swamp and rainforest tree and have one foot in the mud and the other on the leafy forest floor. It just me or are the Game Makers getting lazy when it comes to blending environments together? Vines hang from the branches, colourful birds sing high above our heads and there are plants of every size and shape imaginable.

"Well, here we are." Stella says, gazing up at the scene in awe. "It'll be filled with poisonous things, but there must be at least one thing that's edible here. We need to find some more food fast. I think we should slit up, to cover more ground."

I traipse through the dense forest, alone for the first time in Games, but I know Stella isn't too far away; we'll meet up at the swamp border at sundown in about two hours. I've seen plenty of fruits, all of them unfamiliar and therefore dangerous.

I'm too busy looking up at trees to watch where I'm stepping.

I hear the sound of rope tightening and feel something grip my ankles.

"Arrrrgh!" Within a blink of an eye I'm whisked off my feet and pulled into the air. I dangle upside down helplessly, more than five feet from the ground. My brain begins to feel fuzzy as I hear laughter coming towards me.

"Well, well, well. What have we got here?" A small wave of fear comes over me as Fuchsia appears, two swords strapped to her back, a wicked grin on her face. "Got ourselves a bit tied up, have we, Jeddie?" Her sky blue eyes are level with mine as she stops in front of me, eyeing the rope around my ankles.

"What you doing here? Shouldn't you be at a base camp near the Cornucopia?" I try to sound defiant, not because I want to disguise my fear to the audience but because I want her to think I'm not afraid of her. I don't know why this more important me.

"You've got to go to where you prey are." She shrugs, drawing one of her swords and looking thoughtful. "Now, I have two options: I can cut the rope…" She points to the rope with the tip of the blade, and then rests it on my throat. "Or I can cut you."

"Well can you choose quickly, the blood is going to head." I joke, having no idea why I'm not terrified. In fact I smile when I make her laugh.

_She's so pretty when she laughs_, I hear myself think. I shake the thought away trying to remind myself she has the power to kill me right now.

"How did you get up there?" She asks.

"I walked into trap like idiot." As I say this there's a faint rustling sound.

"The rest of the pack are here." Fuchsia bites her lip, finally coming to a decision. She raises her sword. I brace myself, expecting to feel unbelievable pain as it slashes into me.

But instead I feel myself falling and slam into the ground. I lie there for a second, my whole body aching and mind clouded with dizziness.

"Run! Before I change my mind!" She hisses, as everything snaps back into focus.

The only thing I can think of as I run through the forest, adrenaline masking my pain, is:

_Did a Career really just save my life?_


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 32: Jed

"Where have you been? I thought something bad happened to you!" Stella snaps but she looks relived as she hands me one of the mangos she's stuffed into the pockets of her combat trousers. "Anyway, I found a mango tree." I take a huge bite, grateful to finally have something in my stomach. It sweetness fills my mouth as we begin to find a new tree to sleep in.

"You're not gonna believe what happened to me..."

"She lets you go!" Stella stops walking and gaps at me as I finish my story. Seeing her surprise makes what Fuchsia did seem even stranger. As she said she's a predator but what kind of predator lets their prey runaway?

"I wouldn't be here now if didn't. She must have lied to the other Careers about finding me because no one came after me." I say, Stella looks thoughtful.

"She's smart. You can see a cunning spark in her eyes. This is part of some sort of plan. Make no mistakes she's a killer." I feel a small pang of disappointment at the possibility she didn't let me go out of mercy.

It doesn't take long to find a good tree. Which is just as well because it's started to pour with rain.

The one we pick is one of the tallest. Its thousands of leaves will shelter us from the continuous rain. My bruised body complains as it climbs making me wince. By the time we reach the highest branches that can support our weight we're high above the Arena. It spans out below us like a living map, even a golden speck that is the Cornucopia can be made out, but the most intriguing thing is the building we saw last night. It's a huge pyramid with a flat top that looms over the east corner of the Arena. Although as commanding as its dark silhouette is against the setting Sun, something draws you to it. Whether it's just pure curiosity or the promise of shelter from the elements I don't know.

"See those dark shapes on parts of the river?" Stella points to it. I have to squint to make out the dark line across a part of it not far from where we discovered the river. "They're dams: beaver dams. I think the dams made part of the Arena flood creating the swamp."

"That doesn't explain how clear the borders between the swamp and rainforest are though." I point out. She shrugs.

"Maybe not then. Anyway, we should head that way. They might not be that appetising but beavers are edible and just one could keep us going for a day or two." I nod. The picture of the big, furry animal with huge teeth is hardly appealing, but the idea of more food is.

My headache from the fall has changed from intense pain to a dull throb that's even harder to ignore. Stella sees me rubbing my head.

"Head still hurting?" She asks sounding concerned.

"Yeah." I groan, she pats me on the back.

"You'll be fine. If it was anything serious you'd be seeing double." She says as a little silver parachute floats down. It lands directly into my open out stretched hands. Attached to it is a small vial with six tiny pills inside.

"I think they're pain killers." I say excitedly as I get out the bottle of water. The pain all over my body, from head to my feet seems to evaporate almost instantly after I swallow one.

"Thank you, Dad." I whisper into the night somehow knowing they're from him and not Tory. I fall asleep comforted that he's still with me, fight for me, watching over me.

It rained all night and through most of the early morning. The ground is almost as muddy as the swamp. We have to be extra careful to walk on the fallen leaves so our trial isn't so obvious; the Careers aren't as far away as we thought they were this time yesterday.

We can hear the thunderous flow of the river long before we reach it. The only thing stopping the banks bursting with the extra rainwater is a humungous mass of sticks and mud, the beaver dam.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea after all, Stella." I say looking at the water battling furiously against the dam. "It looks like it could flood at any minute." She doesn't answer. "Stella?" I turn to her to see the colour drain from her face as she points to the right at three figures emerging from the trees a few meters away. The sunlight gleam off the blades of several weapons. It's the Careers!

"Run!" She screams but it's too late. They've spotted us. We run as fast as we possibly can in the opposite direction. But three more burst out of the undergrowth yards in front of us. We're surrounded! Stella grabs my hand and dashes back towards the dam. Crossing it is our only hope of escape.

I can feel the sticks and branches snap beneath my feet as we rush across it. But water suddenly bursts through a gap in front of us. One more step and it'll collapse and sweep us away. The Careers have us trapped and they know it. I can hear Kayden's sadistic grin even before I turn around to face him.

"We've got you now, District 7. You thought could escape us but you're wrong!" He sneers. I see Fuchsia behind him, copying his expression. Does he know she let me go? Was this their plan to kill me in the most dramatic way possible?

"This is what you get for messing with Chase Sliver!" Chase laughs, remembering what Stella said when she beat him in training, taking one of the four knives out of his belt. He throws it at her as we scream. She ducks just in time. It misses me by a hare's breath. I nearly pass out with relief. The others laugh at him as he balls up his fists in frustration.

"I'll take of them." The District 2 girl rolls her eyes and loads a bow, aiming it at me.

"NO! Jed's mine!" Kayden yells at her before she releases it. He gives her a little shove making her miss entirely. She glares at him.

"If you want him so bad why don't you go get him?" Mutters the boy from 4. Kayden grinds his teeth with anger.

"Fine; I will." He growls and jumps onto the dam, sword in hand. Good God this boy is stupid!

"Kayden! Don't! You…" The District 4 girl tries to warn him but it's too late. You can hear several creaks and creaks, followed by the gushing of water as it blows more holes in it. It's blow at any second!

I quickly grab on to a big branch lodged in the mud at my feet.

"HOLD YOUR BREATH AND HANG ON!" I yell at Stella whose pale hands lock on beside mine. The moment I say that the dam is blow to pieces and the water flings us forward.

The last thing I hear before going udder is seven terrified screams, then there's nothing but the overflow, pulling me udder. It seems like an eternity before I surface. I take a huge gulp of air before I'm pulled down again into the burly deep. We surface again, then go back udder. Surface. Under. Surface. Under. Surface. The branch finally does its job a keeps us a float in the fast moving current. Then I realise Stella isn't next to me! I scan the water but all I can see is debris. A cannon shouts above the roar of the flood. Was that for Stella? Confused, afraid and cold I cling onto the branch for dear life, praying I'll find her alive.

After about 10 minutes of being pushed along it becomes calm enough for me to swim to shore, using the branch as a floatation device. Everywhere within 500 meters of the river is flooded. I walk along the muddy edge of the water, calling Stella's name desperately. I can't give up hope until I see her face in the sky. Just when the tears begin to build up behind my eyes I see something stretched out in sludge. It's a body!

I run towards it, hoping Stella has been mercifully washed up alive. But when I get closer I can see the person's long, light blonde hair, soaked and dirty. As I draw nearer they roll over making me nearly jump out of my skin as the cough. A pair of dazed sky blue eyes meet mine.

"Jeddie. What happened?" Fuchsia asks weakly.

"There was a flood." I reply, feeling disappointed that it's not Stella but relieved for some reason that the girl who's part of the pack who wants to kill me is still alive.

"Oh, yeah, right, I remember now." She says as she tries to get up and winces. "My foot's stuck." Her ankle has disappeared beneath a sampling that's been uprooted. She looks so helpless, a world away from the glamorous girl at the interviews, the laughing Fuchsia I saw yesterday and the fierce Career who was chasing me an hour ago.

"Help me." The words seem to physically hurt her, as if the idea of asking of a non-Career's help is even more painful than a tree on your foot. I want to help so badly, but Stella's words echo in my head "_Make no mistakes, she's a killer._"

"I'm sorry, Fuchsia. I can't trust you. You know that." I start to walk away.

"Please. I can't move! I'm not with the rest of the pack anymore; even if they do find me I'm injured, they would either kill me or just leave me. I'm of no use to them now. I have to reason to kill you any more, Jed. If you help I can be your ally .I always quite liked you, that's why I let you go." I have to chant _"lie, lies, lies"_ in my head to stop me from turning around. Of course she doesn't like me. I'm a fool to even feel anything when she says she does.

"You owe me one. You're are in my debt if you like it or not." She calls seriously. I stop. She's got me there. I look back. She stares at me with different eyes. Beautiful, pleading eyes which are washed clean of their wicked spark. She's no longer a killer, she's just a girl who needs my help.

I'm not completely sure if it's pity, a fear of going through the Games alone if Stella is dead or the hope that what she said was true, but I walk back and free her from the fallen little tree.

I smile and feel a rush of something I've never felt before as she gets up awkwardly and hugs me.

"Thank you. I won't hurt you. I promise."


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Stella

_I'm drowning_. That's the only thought in my shocked, frozen mind as I'm dragged down to my cold, watery grave. I can't breathe, I can't see, I can't feel anything accept the raging current. That thought gets louder, more urgent as I slip further away, trying to wake me up_. I'm drowning. I'm drowning! I'M DROWING!_

Suddenly my eyes snap open and I start to fight back. _NO! I won't drown! I won't die! I won't leave Dad all alone!_ But my backpack pulls me down. Only thinking about all the vital things I'm letting go for a second I took it off and battle to the surface.

I take a huge breath, filling my starved lungs with the sweet air. My struggling which can barely be called swimming can just about keep my head above the fast moving tide. A cannon fire makes me frantically take in my surroundings. Was that for Jed? I panic; search for any sign of him but there's none. There's nothing but the remains of the dam.

The water is beginning to wash my strength away. Just as I'm about to go back under I spot something big and dark blue has just bobs up the surface close to me. As the current draws it nearer I gasp in horror as I gaze stare at the dead tribute who the cannon was for.

She's face down but I can tell from her raven hair woven into hundreds of tiny braids who she is: the girl from District 2. Her jacket has puffed up, turning it into a flotation device. It must be a sponsor gift that didn't activate in time to save her. But it's just in time for me.

I hold onto her, letting it keep me afloat. I shudder at the thought I'm practically hugging a corpse. Thank God I can't see her cold dead eyes boring into me.

After what feels like an eternity the river finally washes us up onto the muddy bank.

I strip her of the coat, trying my best not to turn her over; I couldn't bare the sight of her face after I degraded her like this. There are two small bags strapped to her belt which I take as well, it's not like she'll need them.

"I'm sorry." I whisper as I walk away. She may have been a killer but she saved my life.

Spurred on by the relief he's alive and the hope of finding him I search for Jed. But after two hours I've found nothing. The flood has washed up two fish which I pick up along the way. One for me and one for him. They'll be our first proper meal for two days and my grumbling stomach looks forward to eating it.

I climb a tree to get a better view. It looks like the entire swamp has flooded; only the very top of the Cornucopia isn't submerged. The good news is that the Careers can't go back to replenish their supplies, they're usually hopeless without the Cornucopia's gifts. The bad news is that the tributes staying there will now be driven to the jungle so we'll have even more people to dodge. The river has thrown me to the east; I know this because that mysterious building is closer, only about three days walk away.

A rustling below me awakes me from my thoughts. I look down to see someone with dark brown hair make his way through the dense undergrowth. I aim my knife at him ready to throw it if he sees me. But when he looks up a pair of familiar green eyes scan the trees. It's Jed!

Immensely happy and relieved to have found him I shout out to him, but sudden fear loges it in my throat as another figure comes into view. Her light blonde hair is knotted with mud and she has a slight limp but I still get the chill I felt when I first saw her. Fuchsia McQueen!

She's following not far behind Jed, with the two swords still firmly strapped to her back. My fear doubles for Jed who carries on somehow oblivious to the killer that stalks her pray a matter of feet away. The fear begins to churn into adrenaline as she walks towards my tree. I have to stop her!

My thoughts giving way to instinct I slightly climb down a few feet. She leans on my tree, catching her breath. I leap down and land on top of her, knocking her to the ground! She screams in shock. Realising what's going on she tries to roll over and turn the tables on me. I'm stronger than my small frame lets on but her struggling is hard to contain. My hands grip her head trying to subdue her upper body. She bites my fingers not letting go until I cry out in pain as she draws blood. Anger flaring in my veins I slam her head into the ground! Unfazed she takes advantage of my blind rage and frees her arms, within a second it's me in the dirt. There's just enough time for me to get a strike in with my knife as she reaches back for a sword. Swearing at me as blood appears in the fresh cut on her arm she presses the blade to my throat. But I have my knife at hers.

"You're a violent little squirt I'll give you that. Didn't know you had it in you. But it's the wrong place at the wrong time. We're on the same team now!" She hisses.

"Wow, you're dumber than I thought if think I'm gonna fool that, you tart!" I shout in her face hating her jab at my seize. I kick her in the butt with my free leg.

"NO, STELLA! SHE'S WITH US NOW! PUT THE KNIFE AWAY" Jed yells as I hear his rushing feet come towards us. What? Fuchsia smiles at the gobsmacked look on my face. Confident I'm too astonished to attack she withdraws her weapon and gets off.

"H-how did this happened?" I splutter.

"We can't trust her. You're a fool to think otherwise." I tell Jed as soon as Fuchsia wonders out of ear shot after giving her account as to how those two got together.

"But she's injured." He says pointing to her slight limp. "She needs us and she's not a part of the pack anymore, she doesn't want to kill us. If she did she would've done it by now. She had the opportunity when she had you pinned but she backed off."

"She sure didn't fight like she was injured. She's just using us to help her until she's back on top form, then we'll have our throats slit in the night. Or worse."

"No she won't do that! She promised she won't. You don't know her I do." He snaps, suddenly defensive.

"You've known her for all of five minutes."

"Oh and I've known you all my life." He says sarcastically. I've got admit he has a point there, we barley know each other yet we call ourselves friends and allies who'd risk their lives for each other. I've already lost him once, I don't want to again. He signs. "Please, just give her a second chance."

"Oh, alright." I roll my eyes. Somebody's got to keep an eye on her.

He smiles. "Thanks. Oh and…." He suddenly throws his arms around me and hugs me. "I'm really glad you're not dead."

"I'm glad you're not dead either." I hug him back.

We cook the fish I found while it's still light, that way the fire isn't as noticeable. Jed takes a spot up in a tree, keeping an eye out for incoming Careers, leaving me alone with Fuchsia. We sit in awkward silence for a few minutes; bandaging our wounds with the bandages I got from one of the Career's pouches and staring at the cooking fish, letting the smells absorb our hungry minds.

"Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I know we got off on the wrong foot, but you can trust me, Stella. I promise I'll find a way to show you I'm telling the truth." She suddenly says, sounding the most sincere I've heard her. Not sure of what to say I simply grunt a reply as I turn the fish over.

When Jed comes down its ready and we hastily put the fire out and eat.

"That pyramid is closer so we're further east." He remarks.

"Pyramid?" Fuchsia looks up from her food.

"Yeah there's a huge pyramid in the east corner of the Arena." He nods.

"Oh, let's head there. It'll provide lots of shelter and a great vantage point; we'll see tributes coming from miles off!" She says sounding very enthusiastic.

"No way it's a trap! The Game makers probably have something bad in there." I snap, Jed nods looking sceptical.

"There could also be something really good there too, and besides more tributes will be coming into the forest now that the swamps been flooded and much of the supplies have washed away. It's not like we have many choices left. We need a plan of action and we need to get there before someone else has the same idea!" She argues, sounding adamant.

"Well… I guess you're right, we need a plan." Jed murmurs.

"Yeah, a bad plan!" I argue.

"Do you have a better plan then, Stella? Cause if you do we'd love to hear it." Fuchsia says sweetly. I growl, I loathe being patronised.

"No." I mutter. She claps her hands in triumph.

"Then it's settled, we'll head to the pyramid." Whoop de do.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Cole

A couple of hours before sundown the canon goes off.

"Who do suppose that was?" Jed asks.

"Probably someone in the swamp how couldn't swim any longer or something." Stella shrugs. "Let's hope it's one of the Careers." Fuchsia frowns. "Sorry." She mutters.

When the Capital seal appears the girl from 2 is the first to be shown. So Chase is still alive.

"Allaya." Fuchsia's face is a cross between surprise and a little sadness. Guilt crosses Stella's remembering how she used her body as a raft.

"Was that her?" She asks.

"Yeah. She was pretty cool, tough like most 2 girls are but she wasn't blood thirsty. Just in it to win it."

"Aren't we all." Jed sighs. A sad silence falls as they remember only one of them will win as the boy from District 11 is revealed to be the mystery cannon. That brings us two steps closer to a victor.

Dread knots my stomach as I'm reminded I can only bring one victor home. That victor has to be Jed, there's no other option, but I'll never forgive myself if I let Stella die.

"We should settle down for night." Jed says climbing the tree behind them.

"But I can't climb trees, not with my bad ankle." Fuchsia protests. Stella rolls her eyes.

"Well we can't stay on the ground." She says, following Jed.

"Hey! You can't leave me vulnerable down here." Fuchsia snaps. They two girls bicker for a minute or two until Jed puts a hand up.

"Stop it! One of us will stay on the ground with Fuchsia while the other keeps watch here." I've never heard him speak with so much authority.

"I'll take the first watch." Stella says, eyeing Fuchsia suspiciously.

"Then I'll stay with Jeddie." She grins patting the ground next to her; he smiles and sits down there. When Stella's high enough to be out of ear shot she leans her head close to his and says. "Thanks for saving me back there. If hadn't had come along I don't know what would've happened." Red fills Jed's cheeks as he murmurs:

"Oh, it was nothing." I turn away, this scene making me feel quite uncomfortable for some reason.

I'm still not completely sure if she can be trusted, after all she is a Career and her mentor Cashmere has set out to make "life very hard for you and your little tributes". But I don't think she'll be trying anything soon, if she is planning to cross them it won't be until her ankles better, which gives me plenty of time to make my mind up. Plus if they do run into any trouble she can still fight well so she's a good asset to the alliance. Whether she can be trusted or not I don't like the way she's almost flirting with Jed and the way he acts like a smitten school boy around her.

As the time for the switch over draws near I browse our inventory. A lot of important items were lost when the Backpack was washed away and with the Cornucopia gone the only place they can get them from now is sponsors. A lot of it seems to food, things like jerky and dried fruit, but there are also items like rope, sleeping bags and knives. The Capital must really like Stella and Jed because this is the most sponsors I've seen District 7 have! And it's nearly doubled in the last few hours since Fuchsia joined them, so the public must believe she can be trusted. I'll wait until these items are really needed before I send them. In the next few days the prices of sponsor gifts will soar so sponsors will be less willing to help.

As I make my way down to meet Torey I spot Cashmere walking towards me. I expect to get another threating confrontation about Jed stealing Fuchsia away from the Careers or something. But instead she gets into the elevator with me silently, not even looking at me. I would like to stay this way but I need to know where we stand now that there's an alliance between our tributes.

"So…now that we're part of an alliance we'll have to work together." I say. She turns to me, trying to keep a straight face but there's a look in her eye I can't quite place, it's like she's trying to hold something down that's brewing inside her. When we get out she darts off towards her and they whisper together excitedly. I nearly bump into Torey whose standing in front of the doors with her arms crossed across her chest, looking even more serious than usual.

"What's wrong?" I ask. She glances at Cashmere and Gloss who are grinning like a Career who's found a very sharp sword. They look at, then burst out laughing.

"We've got a problem." She says as calmly as ever as she gets up gesturing me to follow. We go into the TV Room next to the Social Area. In the Social Area almost every chair is filled with a mentor or sponsor, some talking intensely about strategy while others gossip and negotiate sponsor deals. But the TV Room is almost empty.

"It's Fuchsia, isn't it?" I growl, knowing deep down something wasn't right about her.

"Yes, but it's hard to explain so I'll show you."

The TV room is made up of four huge TV screens, one on each wall. The north side shows the stats of each tribute according to a panel of "experts" who discuss the Games in the upper right hand corner of the screen, the betting odds for each tribute on the left. The south side is a Capital gossip show where the Games and rumours behind the scenes are hotly discussed. The west side is the live footage with Caesar Flickerman commentating. The east side holds the most important TV of all: the on demand reruns. Here mentors can browse through what's been going on in the Games away from their tribute. The TV room gives mentors a 360 degree view of the Games along with what the Capital think.

Torey takes the remote to the east side TV and brings up the menu, selects Fuchsia McQueen, day two, 15:00-16:00. We take a seat and watch as the screen is filled with the image of Fuchsia standing next to a severed rope as the rest of the Careers run towards her.

"WHERE'S THAT DISTRICT 7 PUNK ? I HEARD HIS VIOCE!" Kayden yells, ready to fight, his axe held high.

"Jed's gone, Kayden." Fuchsia says confidently, but there's a flicker of fear in her eyes as Kayden narrows his eyes.

"Did you let him go?" He asks barley able to control his fast building rage. She doesn't answer.

"YOU DID DIDN'T YOU?" He screams gabbing her by the neck and slamming against the tree!

"Kayden! Please calm down…" says Allaya trying to pull him away. He shakes her off.

"GET OFF ME! JED IS MY KILL! THIS YEAR WAS SURPOSSED TO BE MY YEAR, I'M THE ONLY ONE WHOSE SHOULD HAVE VICTORS RUNNING THROUGH MY VIENS! BUT HE'S RUINING IT, HE'S TAKING THE SPOTLIGHT AWAY FROM ME, FROM THE FLINTS AND POINTING AT HIS STUPID FAMILY! I SHOULD BE ALL ANYONES TALKING ABOUT! NOT HIM! NOT HIM! NOT HIM!" He slams her into the tree with every "not him", as if he's holding his him and not Fuchsia. His eyes have completely glazed over. It looks like he's going to kill her!

"I know, that's why I let him go." She croaks. He stops and frowns, loosening his grip. "What do you mean?"

"You want to the one who kills him, to show you're better than him and you're the star of the show, right?" She says a sly look spreading across her face.

"Yeah." He answers impatiently.

"Well don't you want to do it in the most dramatic way possible? Make him suffer for what he's done and show everyone how good you are." A sadistic smile spreads across his face.

"Yes."

"Then you want to kill him in a fight. Not have him hanging down like a human piñata." She says.

"But I could have just cut him down and made him fight!" He tightens his hold slightly. "YOU TOOK AWAY WHAT COULD ME MY LAST CHANCE TO DESTROY HIM!" He reaches down, holding her to the tree with one hand and picks up his axe, despite the protests of the others.

"WAIT! WAIT! PLEASE! I CAN FIND HIM AND BRING HIM TO YOU!" Fuchsia suddenly blurts out, pure fear and panic clinging to her voice. He holts again. "You've got two minutes to explain what the hell you're talking about.

"Remember how we said we'd go to the pyramid because there might be something good there and we'll see tributes from miles around. Well next time I see Jed I'll convince him to go to the pyramid, that way we don't have to spend all our time hunting him, he'll come to us. Just imagine the priceless look on his face when he sees you there. Everyone will be talking about what you'll do to him when he gets there." She says, pausing before each sentence as if she's improvising a performance.

"Do you really think you could fool him into listening to you?" The girl from 4 butts in, not sounding sceptical.

"Course I can, Torrent. I've been pushing his buttons ever since that day in training; it'll be like persuading Haymitch Abernathy to have a drink." She answers coolly. Kayden thinks about this for a while, he releases her.

"Alright. We should reach the pyramid in four days. If he's not there in six, you're dead, even if we're not a team anymore by then I'll find you and kill you." He says, his face centimetres away from hers.

I sit there in utter complete shock, my blood frozen in my veins. How could I trust that girl even for a second?

"The good news about this is that she'll have to keep him alive until then." Says Torey, exiting the recording.

"Yes, but only so she can betray him by handing him over to a psychotic, deluded Career who lusting for his blood." I reply feeling the fear Jed should be feeling right now.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Stella

I try to ignore my growling stomach as we walk through the rainforest. The fish last night wasn't as filling as we thought it would be, the snares I set were empty this morning and we haven't found any familiar plants since the mango tree two days ago.

The midday Sun beats down through the leaves of trees; the birds seem to taunt us with their songs in the sky, knowing we have no way of getting to them. In fact after losing the backpack in the flood we have next to nothing. They only things we've got now are Fuchsia's swords, Jed's painkillers (which were in his pocket) and the things in Allaya's pouch bag which I robbed from her corpse : matches, a switch blade, a packet of raisins, a water skin that's half full and some bandages. Fuchsia glares up them.

"I've had it with these birds! They've been within shooting distance ever since we got up but we have nothing to shoot them with!" She mutters irritably. She's found it the hardest to adjust to our lack of resources, the Career districts might produce the best fighters but there are few survivalists among them.

There's just something about that girl that really annoys me but I don't know what. And I still don't trust her. I'm about to snap something about not complaining when a little sliver parachute floats down towards me. It gets stuck in some branches.

"I'll get it!" I say excitedly, grateful to get something, anything right now. When I it reach I follow its tangled string down to our gift.

"What is it?" Jed calls from below.

"Well…it looks like you got your wish, Fuchsia." I say as I cut the stings with the switchblade. I hear her gasp.

"Is it a bow?" She asks hopefully.

"Umm… not exactly." I answer as I climb down with the gift: a slingshot. We all reflect each other's look of disappointment, in me and Jed's time in training we never touched one, and I doubt Fuchsia did when there were bows and swords to play with. Jed sighs and puts on a smile.

"Well it's not a bow but it's better than nothing, and let's face it, we need everything we can get." I mirror his smile and nod. He always tries to see the best in things, that's why he's my friend. No, I shouldn't call him that. Friendships are destined to be destroyed here. All he can be is an ally.

Fuchsia walks up to me as I jump down.

"OK, I think I'll have that." She says breezily, holding out her hand.

"Why? I'm the one who got it, so it's mine!" I say, sounding defensive. I'm not the possessive type but it's just the way she simply presumes I'll hand it over.

"There aren't any rules that say it is. Besides, I've got a really good aim from doing archery so I think I'll be the best at using it." She retorts, keeping her tone casual. I look at Jed.

"She's right, Stella. Neither of us have any experience with a shooting weapon so I think she'll have the best chance with it." He says. I still don't want to hand it over but I know their right, and if I argue I'll just sound like a brat. So I murmur an "Ok" and give it to her. She gives me and little smile.

"Thank you." She says in a sweet voice. I'm starting to dislike this girl more and more with every minute.

After a few attempts she got used to the small weapon. In three hours she's took out two colourful birds the size of ducks. They by their feet from her belt as she walks beside Jed in front of me. They laugh every so often, too far away for me to hear them. Fuchsia glance back at me and smirks, I glare at her. Are they laughing at me? She brushes his arm and he gives her a little, shy smile. My glare intensifies. I try to dismiss the jealousy that's boiling inside me. I've never had a single thought of a romantic nature about him. It's just that we've been in this, this nightmare together ever since we shook hands at the reaping and now there's a third bird in the nest, a bird that seems intent on pushing me out.

They stop in front of a huge mound of earth almost as tall as the trees. I quickly catch up to them.

"What's so funny?" I ask. Fuchsia keeps her eyes on Jed as she answers.

"Oh, nothing, just a little joke. It's too inappropriate for someone your age." She says it that sweet, casual tone that feels the slightest bit patronising.

"What do mean MY AGE! I'm the same age as Jed!" I splutter.

"Oh! Really? Sorry, it's just that you're so…little." She says. For a moment I just stand there with my mouth hanging open like an idiot. Then the anger sets in.

"Are you saying I'm short!" I struggle not shout as I draw myself up to my full height in front of her. She's right of course; even now I'm only eye level with her collar bone. But nobody, absolutely nobody says I'm short!

"They mean pretty much the same thing don't they?" She smirks.

"Fuchsia! Don't be mean!" Jed cries, sounding totally shocked that this girl would have single mean streak in her body.

"Aww come on, guys. I'm just playing. You need to get a sense of humour, Stella." She grins at me. If she says one more thing I swear I'm going to snap. I'm just about to say this when she adds:

"I mean, being a moody little girl hasn't got anyone sponsors." My built up anger erupts from me in the form of a scream.

"ALRIGHT! THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD IT WITH YOU! YOU NASTY, ARROGANT COW!" I yell at her, rage clouding my mind in a red mist. She gasps and looks genuinely hurt for a second. Then her eyes narrow and she slaps my face. I shove her. She punches me hard on the arm.

"NO!NO, STOP IT! BOTH YOU! WE'RE ALLIES, NOT ENEMIES!" Jed pushes us away from each over just as we draw our weapons.

"She started it!" She protests.

"No, you did, when you called me short!"

"I didn't say that!"

"You implied it!"

"Hay, come on girls! This is no time to fight we're supposed to be working together." Jed says desperately.

"I've told you before Jed, we can't trust her! I've only been putting up with her for your sake." I say.

"But she's not a Career anymore, she's with us, and you saw how good she is with the slingshot. We need her." He persists. Fuchsia smiles at him.

"I'm sorry, Jed but I'm going to have to be totally honest with you: you're being naïve. She's clearly planning something." I say. He just stares at me, with a look that is almost physically painful.

"Stella. I know you don't trust her, but I do, don't ask me why because I don't know. I just feel like we can, and if you don't trust her, you don't trust my instincts." He says, sounding hurt. Fuchsia looks at him, with an equally sad expression. I'm about to tell him that I do trust him when the ground suddenly starts to vibrate under our feet. We look in confusion towards the mound.

A stream of big red dots are pouring down towards us! As they get closer I realise that's not just any old mound: it's an ant's nest! And it's giant residents are coming straight for us!


End file.
